Isle of Man TT: Sporting insight a white knuckle ride

TT3D: Closer to the Edge. Photo / Supplied

The Isle of Man TT is arguably the most lethal race in the world, with racers spearing past kerbs, stone walls, pubs and cliffs at speeds of up to 320km/h. Make a mistake and it will hurt; forget the details of each 60km lap and you will make a mistake. So why race there?

TT 3D: Closer to the Edge aims to answer that question by following the 2010 favourites as they steel themselves for the race - and tackle an iconic circuit that has made and killed legends. Fast-talking bad-boy Guy Martin is the focus, but the film also talks to marshals and spectators. It follows bikes as they rocket through tunnels of trees and across windswept hills that dwarf the machines and their riders. It films some horrifying crashes and emotional victories as it tries to explain the compulsion which drives the men and women who take on the mountain. And it talks to the Waikato-based widow of Kiwi Paul Dobbs, who died while racing that year.

"You can't love the death. You can't love the loss. But you can't love the excitement and the thrill without knowing that's part of it," she says.

This is a gripping film that remains entertaining thanks largely to Guy Martin's irreverent humour in the face of fear. TT 3D: Closer to the Edge opens at 3D cinemas on August 25.