Film

Nitro Circus: The Movie

Name: Nitro Circus: The Movie
Genre: Action, Comedy, Documentary
Released: 2012
Cast: Travis Pastrana, Jolene Van Vugt, Tommy Passemante, Jeremy Rawle, Gregg Godfrey

Action
Light-hearted
Relentless

Travis Pastrana and the Nitro Circus crew hurl themselves through increasingly absurd stunts in 3D. It's half concert film, half sports documentary, entirely committed to the bit—motorbikes through rings of fire, backflips over cliffs, the works. Made for people who love watching talented riders push physics to the breaking point and laugh at the wreckage.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love stunt footage that makes you wince and grin in the same breath, and you don't need a plot to carry you from one wild jump to the next.

Skip it if you find extreme-sports bravado tiresome after a few minutes, or you want the danger to feel earned by character rather than delivered as a string of loud set pieces.

What it asks of you: Ninety-odd minutes of mostly uninterrupted spectacle, with little patience for slow build-up, so you mainly need to be willing to sit back and let it run.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Jackass 3D2010

The same giddy energy and willingness to eat pain for comedy, but with a bigger budget and actual stunt expertise. If you love watching people do things they absolutely shouldn't, this is family.

But Jackass leans harder into bodily humiliation than skill. If you came for the stunts and not the suffering, you might feel it's less about the doing and more about the consequences.

Faster2010

A documentary about a motorcycle daredevil and the obsession that drives him. It's the serious film hiding in Nitro Circus's DNA—same world, same people, but actually examining why they risk their lives.

But It's slow, reflective, and genuinely sad about its subject. If you want spectacle without the introspection, this will feel like a burden.

Torque2004

A motorbike movie that commits absolutely to its own ridiculousness with stunts and practical effects. It's dumb in a joyful way, like Nitro Circus but with a plot you don't care about.

But The narrative is paper-thin and the film doesn't quite know if it's mocking itself or sincere. Tonal whiplash.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Nitro Circus: The Movie

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Man on Wire2008

Both films worship at the altar of someone deciding to do something they physically shouldn't, and both understand that this worship is the whole point. Nitro Circus is the comedy version; Man on Wire is the tragedy.

Documentary about Philippe Petit walking a tightrope between the Twin Towers. It has the same daredevil ecstasy as Nitro Circus—the obsession, the risk, the crowd, the pure joy of doing the impossible—but from 1974.

But It's stately and contemplative. You won't get the comedy or the crashes; it's actually a thriller about obsession rather than a party movie.

Death Proof2007

Tarantino's stunt-heavy car chase film with real driving spectacle and a twisted love of vehicular danger. The action sequences are jaw-dropping practical work.

But It's a slow-burn thriller with long dialogue scenes. You're waiting for driving sequences that don't arrive until the very end.

Ultimate X: The Movie2002

Documentary-style film celebrating extreme sports athletes pushing limits. Same era as Nitro Circus, same reverence for impossible tricks.

But Production values are dated and it skips between sports, so no single discipline gets enough focus. It feels scattered compared to Nitro's laser vision.