Movie Review: 'I Am Evel Knievel'

The Virgil Films/Spike bio sheds new light on the fast times of America's first daredevil.

Review by Matt Cummings

As a kid, I can remember the exploits of stuntman Evel Knievel featured regularly on ABC's Wide World of Sports. I owned several of his toys, imagining I was there with him as he made jump after spectacular jump. But like many of his fans, I never knew the man behind the hero's mystique. The Virgil Films/Spike TV bio I Am Evel Knievel sheds a fairly comprehensive light on this self-made superstar, shameless promoter, and wild man, documenting his incredible rise, spectacular fall, and attempts to find peace near the end of his life.

Told from those who knew him best - his stunt coordinators, wives, and close friends - we learn about his rough-and-tumble youth in Butte, Montana and how this paved the way for a life that eventually led him to attempt 75 bone-crushing jumps, becoming a worldwide phenomenon that he built from nothing. Watching the old films of his jumps - converted exquisitely to high definition - are almost as enjoyable as the viewpoints shared by family friend and Actor Matthew McConaughey, who counted Knievel as one of his heroes. But, there's also testimonials from Knievel's sons Robbie and Kelly, each of whom sought to identify themselves inside and out of their father's enormous shadow.

Sometimes discounted as someone with a death wish, other times extolled as Elvis Presley on a motorcycle, Knievel eventually rose to worldwide fame, eventually owning (and later losing) the most successful toy line of his time and amassing (and later losing) a staggering collection of cars, boats, and women. Throughout the 95-minute affair, we get the sense that - like many celebrities who are eventually swallowed up by their fame - Knievel's career existed on the outer edge of sanity, which in turn had a cumulative effect on those who tried to keep up with him.

But there's also a sense of pride when wives Krystal and Linda speak of him, as if living in his sphere made them great as well. Knievel provided the blueprint for what many modern celebrities identify as 'rock star status,' even though that lifestyle also saw incredible failures. What makes his story and this documentary unique is the deeper (and uncompromising) levels it strives to find, even if they don't totally get there. Sure, the regular stuff is there: his famous run-in with The Hells Angels in New York City, the 1975 jump at Wembley Stadium and his utterly masochistic attempt to fly over Snake River Canyon in 1974 are detailed for our appreciation. But within each, we learn about their backstories and effects, many times overwhelming the few seconds Knievel spent in the air.

Knievel takes the time to show how this trajectory of fame left him wanting more, to the point of leaving him with less. His legal troubles with the IRS and arrest for the assault of Writer Shelly Saltman for libel was utterly fascinating to watch. That time in jail destroyed his career; but in a way, we can at least appreciate why he did it, with the documentary's pointing us back to Knievel's sense that justice had been served according his fairly rigid standards. Near the end, McConaughey explains that sometimes knowing a hero can destroy your impression of them; to the actor, it served as an inspiration. "The message, not the messenger" proves that he believed the hype, and after awhile we start doing the same.

In the end, I Am Evel Knievel proves that people with a dream and the drive to see it realized can achieve amazing successes. Virgil Films' production delivers a very tight, fairly uncompromising view of a man who never relied on anyone for his achievements. In a time when our very values are undergoing monumental changes and little seems certain anymore, Knievel reminds us to take the direct path, one that he used to make incredible fortunes and gain worldwide recognition.

I Am Evel Knievel is available now on Blu-ray and arrives with two special features to compliment the 95-minute runtime.

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