Rating: 
Summary: American Flyer...
Review: O.K. I'm biased. I grew up in Colorado and was very involved with the cycling world during the late 70's and early 80's. Watching this movie takes me right back to those times and I enjoy it. Many of the scenes, including the hotel scene with the TV broadcast of the Star Spangle Banner and blatant display of the KBPI banner at the beginning of the first leg of the race, tap right into things I remember only too well from my youth. (Not to mention the girl with the streak in her hair ... I had a similar one at that time myself ...) I'm also a Costner fan and feel that any Costner collection cannot be complete without this movie. That said ...Yes, the movie is dated. Yes the movie is predictable. Yes, some of the acting is cheesey. And yes, it's an inspirational movie despite all that. I really enjoy this movie and manage to toss it into the VCR twice a year or so if for no other reason that I love to see the Colorado scenery go by during the race scenes and to hear the Star Spangled Banner .... Hey, they are playing our song!
Rating: 
Summary: A great bicycle movie. Too bad the music CD isn't available
Review: I've seen this movie so many times, I know this film word for word. As a movie, I would rate this film as average, or 3 stars. As a bicycle movie, I rate this film at 4 stars. The story and the acting are not so great. It appears that in a lot of scenes that the actors were doing a screen test instead of making a movie. The typical screenwriting cliches are all there, and are what holds the movie together. A lot of the movie's logic doesn't hold up either. Why would Marcus, the doctor in the family test his younger brother David on an extremely strenuous treadmill marathon, knowing full well that he might die, and THEN run a CAT scan on him? What is best about this movie is the music, and the beautiful Colorado scenery, before Colorado became one giant sprawl of a suburb. If you can enjoy this, then you can enjoy this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Hell of the west
Review: Some guys shave their legs and then drive cross country to ride up hill against a crazy guy and a Russian. Sassy Kevin Costner has worms in his ears and it's up to his little brother who is a loner to win the big race and bring the family back togther. The old chick from Baywatch gets naked in this flick and has a nice young rack. And he runs on a tredmill for 25 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT movie
Review: This movie will inspire those who have competed with and against their brother. The fights and the competition between the brothers brings back good memories of how competitive my brother and I were. The dedication and effort put forth by the competitors also brings back memories of a better time and place. The scenery great -- how can Colorado not have great scenery ? Don't look for this movie to have great meaning or fantastic acting - look for it to be just what it was meant to be, an inspirational movie.
Rating: 
Summary: real trash even for a cyclist
Review: How can people like this piece of trash?What a stinker!I think the dad died from boredom after listening to his two idiot sons.And all that endless talk about "the Institute" which looked like it was setup in someone's garage.I can understand why some bikers would find this flick motivational.It motivated me to turn off the t.v. and go for a ride.I really believe this movie was produced by Satan.
Rating:
Summary: American Flyers is one of Kevin Costners best kept secrets!
Review: American Flyers was originally released in the Theaters on August 16, 1985. Before or after no film has ever as realistically and effectively captured bike racing in such a manner as this film. It depicts the "Hell of the West" a fictitious bike race modeled after the Coors Classic held annually in Colorado. It even features a cameo by the legendary Eddie Merckx who is considered by many to be the greatest cyclist of all time. In addition to the cycling aspect, this film should appeal to every one since the story is of a long standing rivalry between two Brothers and a family history of Brain aneurisms which may now threaten the life of one of the Brothers. The brothers are played by Kevin Costner and David Grant. They decide to compete in the Hell of the West and in the process of training for the race as well as competing in the race itself forge a renewed bond that is very touching and heart warming. For Kevin Costner fans this is one of his best performances and surprisingly I have never heard him mention the film in any of his published interviews. John Badham skillfully directs the film and viewers will find themselves thinking about the film long afterwards. It is a truly wonderful film and will leave you very satisfied. For any true movie fan this is a must for your collection, and your friends will thank you when you lend it to them.
Rating:
Summary: "American Flyers" is for cyclists
Review: If you enjoy cycling in any way, recreational or competitive, and enjoyed Hoosiers, then American Flyers is just what the doctor ordered. While the acting isn't Oscar quality, and the music is dated, this is still a feel good movie that will make you smile, and maybe even cry. The story is somewhat predictable, but that does not get in the way of the effectiveness of the movie or the emotion that it evokes. The bottom line: if you like to see fast-paced cycling action and great Colorado scenery, then buy this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Diotima's Ladder
Review: Well the great thing about this movie is that is succeeds on so many levels: Level 1: With books like "Fast Food Nation" and "Diet for a New America," among many others, blazing the trail for liberal post-consumer society revolutionaries to create all-organic farms and end corporate rule, etc., it becomes hard to appreciate, and quite easy to hate, some truly American traditions. Like McDONALDS. Now I know that if we look at what McD's does for our current society, it's quite easy to say that we would be better off without Brazilian "meat," fatty french fries, obesity, and everything else McDonalds brings to life. Gandalf: "Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement." There are so many ambiguities about McDonalds, and everything, that we are not at all qualified to judge it. Perhaps the person that is going to lead a great cultural renaissance and create a harmonic utopia on earth will grow up in a Ronald McDonald house, no one knows. The point is that McDonald's is partially good, and this movies makes you remember that. Level 2: The Hell of the West aka Coors Classic. Inspirational for any cyclist or racer. Those who have ridden the Morgul, Colorado National Monument, or Evans know, and those who see the movie will understand. When it's been 20 degrees and snowy for 2 straight weeks and I have trouble seeing the big races in July while slogging out hours on the trainer in the garage, I pop AF in, and am soon sprinting against Muzzen, Belov, and Sommers. Simply amazing Level 3: Humor. You can't help but laugh with, and at, this movie, Especially when you visit the Jackie Robinson Sports Institute. "You're not dead yet, so die or do something." Level 4: Randalph. I am quite frankly disappointed that none of my other fellow reviews (that I noticed) talked about the true gem of the movie. Randalph will NEVER cease to amaze. Randalph. see for yourself. Randalph.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for cyclists or '80s cheese fans; hell for others
Review: At times sublime, at times laughably awful, this ever-so-'80s relic of American cycling's grass-roots days never fails to put a smile on my face. This is the story of a type-A+ doctor/Olympic cycling team alternate (Kostner) and his unfocused-but-talented brother Danny and their somewhat wobbly voyage of male bonding, family catharsis and, of course, competitive cycling. We start with the annoyingly, eternally cowboy-hatted Danny getting a call from his estranged brother, a very skinny and huge-moustached Kostner (the pair in fact look far more like gay porn stars than athletes) informing him that he'll be visiting the family. We soon learn that their father has died of a cerebral hemorrhage and that each family member is bitter at the other for the way the final days were handled. Mom, worried that favorite son Danny may be next, has Kostner take Danny to his sports lab/university/hospital to check him out. After a few more minutes of painful family pathos and the introduction of Rae Dawn Chong as Kostner's love interest, the focus soon turns to training for the Big Race, and '80 cliches start a-flowin'. To blaring, cheezy synth music, we see Danny overtrain to a horrifying degree at the sports lab to cheering Spandex-clad "athletes," the pair take goofy training rides (inexplicably spinning about a 140 cadence) replete with whooping and hollering, dog chases and Danny improbably pulling a mile-long wheelie while waving that freakin' hat, which he must have Velcroed to his head for the ride. Oh yeah, along the way they also pick up a beautiful hippie chick who, naturally, will soon become Danny's love interest/the film's gratuitous nudity. The foursome finally get the team van to Colorado for the Big Race and there run into two of the most hilarious '80s stock characters ever: "The Cocky Bad Guy" in Cannibal and, of course, "The Russians." Who is more ridiculous is subjective. Cannibal rattles off some of the best bad one-liners in memory, charges photographers, and spends the most of the rest of his time either screaming or scowling. The lead Russian "cyclist" is a burly, furry giant in a hockey helmet, probably pushing about 290 pounds with 10 more in beard. About the only cliche' missing was a pre-race "wodka" chug and a diatribe against the evils of capitalism. Mercifully, the film turns 180 degrees with the start of the race. For the next half-hour or so, we are treated to some of the most beautiful cycling footage ever. The remarkably well-done scenes of the racers duking it out in the red rocks of the mountains are simply exhilarating. It truly captures the essence of racing, the speed, the sprints, the pain, the fear, the flow--it kicks butt. The rest of the film, while as predictable as the sunrise, is still great fun. Certainly, this film is not for everyone, and many will find it a truly painful experience. For me, though, the mix of hilarious '80s camp and incredible race footage make it a favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Dull and predictable cycling drama.
Review: "American Flyers" stars Kevin Costner and David Marshall Grant as Marcus and David, two brothers who share a passion for cycling. It attempts to be both a drama and one of those inspirational sports movies that have been done to death. Right from the start, "American Flyers" is weak in its storytelling. There was some sort of family fallout regarding the death of the brothers' father. Marcus blames his mom for something or other and hasn't spoken to her or his little brother in a year and a half. The reasoning is never made very clear. Anyway, Marcus calls and lets his mom and brother know that he is coming for a visit. He shows up late for dinner and then announces he is already going home the very next morning. All the while, he is quite mean to his mom. Nice guy. It's made all the worse by not allowing us to get to know the mom at all. She is one dimensional and hardly has any dialogue. The "story" has two main topics. The father died of a cerebral aneurysm and the viewer is left wondering if one or both of the brothers is going to suffer the same fate. The film is also about a bicycle race. I would go more into detail but you can guess what is going to happen right from the start. There is no suspense whatsoever. Throw in what amounts to a McDonald's commercial part way through the movie and you have a real dud. Rae Dawn Chong and Alexandra Paul also star as the brothers' girlfriends. Both give decent performances but it's all for nothing. Writer Steve Tesich was trying to repeat the success he had with his other bicycling movie "Breaking Away". He had obviously run out of original ideas and this film pretty much ended his career in Hollywood.
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