I got my hands on a pre-order copy of Boondockers 12 today. I spent 45 minutes drooling over perfect white-room shots and soft, pillowy landings. I am now, officially, yearning for winter.

Abstract

Following the Boondockers crew throughout the 2014-2015 season, this movie explores their journey throughout the North American West in a powder-filled delight, filled with jumps, drops, shoulder-throwing powder turns, and of course, the gnarliest creek bottoms in the industry.

BD 12 Cover Art
BD 12 Cover Art

The Basics

Runtime: 45 Minutes

Rating: Intended for All Audiences

Producers: Dan Gardiner, Andrew McCarthy, Nick Reedy, and Geoff Dyer

Purchase Link: CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE MOVIE.

The Review

4.5-of-5-stars (4.5/5 stars)

I will preface this by saying this is the first film I’ve seen this year, so I’m itching for powder. However, I think this is one of the best films in the Boondockers franchise! It’s on my must purchase list for 2015, and it should be on yours as well! While everyone else in the industry is still complaining about the snow last year, the Boondockers somehow managed to put out a film with non-stop over the hood powder action. I was blown away that almost every shot was a perfect balance of great light and waist-deep pow. Kudos for that! Also, I was really impressed by the camera angles including several scenes filmed from above. The drone-work is smooth and follows the rider perfectly, without so much as a jerk or correction in the gimbal, something I know is pretty difficult to do. But, what really gets it for me, is that several sections of this film were done in an area that I’d never seen in sled movies. The contrast of the blue skies with the red sandstone is perfect, and the combination of POV, cameraman and drone work in this area tied it all together so well.

Aaron Case bails off a cliff
Aaron Case bails off a cliff

As I have come to expect from the Boondockers, I enjoyed the technical lines and creek-bottoms. I’m always blown away by their abilities and how flawlessly their sleds run. I also really found the editing appealing. There was a great mix of short, 1-2 second scenes, transitioned through percussive breaks in music, which seemed to increase the adrenaline and impact of some of the sequences.

James Finsterwald Hucks
James Finsterwald Hucks

Like previous films, Boondockers 12 follows a chronological order, for the most part, detailing a month-by-month highlight reel of some of their best moments. It’s well shot, well composed, and a move that I’ll keep around for a while.

So, what’s it missing? Not much. But, for me, the entire industry is still missing a story in a snowmobile movie. I long for one, just one film, that has a plot; there are so many cool stories out there to tell. But, as far as the sled-segment of Warren Miller style movies, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find too many out there that live up to Boondockers 12. Finally, I found the movie just a little bit short. This movie seemed to have me so amped up, I was wishing for more, maybe another 15 minutes or maybe another 3 hours, but maybe that’s just because it was that good!

Whatever the case, the first film of the year, for me, has set the bar pretty high. I applaud Dan and the entire Boondockers crew, and look forward to the next films to show up on my doorstep!

The Teaser:

 

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