NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience

The gigantic IMAX screen and booming multi-channel stereo system give us an up-close look at stock-car racing, one of America’s most popular and lucrative spectator sports. It’s up-close, but it’s not very personal. Despite a few nods in the direction of NASCAR’s big names—Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.—the emphasis is on the regimented corporate side of racing and the expert yet faceless teams that power the cars. Indeed, the most dramatically interesting scenes come early, recreating the sport’s origins in the 1940s, when bootleggers pounded the southern back roads, eluding police pursuit. Still, it’s expertly directed by Simon Wincer, and the big-screen, 3-D format captures the dizzying roar and thunder of the races. The witty narration is spoken by Kiefer Sutherland.