Dust to Glory MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +3 Content: -1/2

Dust to Glory is a documentary film that follows the famed Baja 1000 off-road race from start to finish. The yearly event is well-known among enthusiasts as the worlds longest nonstop, point-to-point race. Participants traverse 1,000 miles of the Baja peninsula in 32 hours of hard-core, off-road racing in anything from a basic off-road motorcycle to a multimillion-dollar, off-road pickup. In fact, theres even a class for unmodified, classic Volkswagen Bugs. Directed and narrated by Dana Brown, Dust to Glory investigates every area of the Baja 1000 from the development of the course by race coordinator Sal Fish to the efforts of volunteers, mechanics, racers, friends, families and the enthusiastic Mexican public. Jam-packed with exciting race visuals, the film also tells quite a few good stories as it follows several racers on their long and eventful journey.

While definitely geared toward off-road racing enthusiasts, Dust to Gloryis also fun for those who are only casually interested in the sport. Though it has its flaws, the film is ultimately an outstanding documentary with many positive elements. In one sequence, racers are shown interacting with their adoring Mexican fans, many of whom are children, including orphans. In another, the racers talk about the determination required to finish the long and difficult race. And at one point, the narrator even discusses the death of a spectator with profound insight, saying that death is neither fair nor just. Since the film includes a lot of dangerous situations in motor vehicles, parents should ask themselves if they want to expose their children to such potentially imitable behaviors. Still, Dust to Glory provides a lot of great action without a lot of the trash found in most of todays films.

Preview Reviewer: Shaun Daugherty
Distributor: IFC Films