copyright © Jedo Dre 2011

This is not a linear professional documentary I expected.


First, it needs to be noted that although the premise indicates that the show will talk about a whole bunch of countries these guys pass through, that is not the case. There are only 7 episodes (10 + special features in the special edition) and there is no way in hell you can cover all those countries in a meaningful manner in that time.


So instead the show concentrates on events in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Russia.


Secondly, the structure of the show is very...nonexistent. Despite the fact that there is a whole support team assembled, the show feels more like it is someone's home-video. This is not necessarily a bad thing.


This documentary is like a really good home-cooked meal, with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. It shows only the weird characters and situations that these two guys encountered on their way.


Would I really like them to have more content spread over 10 more episodes including Europe and US. Yes, but this concentrated version was cool too.


Because there is a film crew and actors involved, the two travelers at the centre get a lot of attention from various people and governments, which makes their experiences feel a bit unrelatable. You and I, we would not get police escort through Kazakhstan you know. On the other hand to some this may seem like a good thing, causing more weird stuff to happen, but to me it puts them further away from the countries they visit.


It was still very personal and interesting though. The two main characters, being friends, have a lot of chemistry. Definitely worth a watch.

Long Way Round