REVIEW: Long Way Up

It has been 13 years since Long Way Down graced our screens and the world has changed a lot in that time. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have changed too – there’s been more Hollywood blockbusters (McGregor), more broken bones (Boorman) and a few extra grey hairs (both).

While the idea of a third installment in the Long Way series (Long Way Round screened in 2004) has been long-anticipated, most people wouldn’t have blamed the dynamic duo for hanging up their helmets. After all, the idea of watching two middle-aged men riding dual sport bikes along a dusty highway becomes slightly less appealing with every passing year.

And yet, here we are.

I won’t bore you with everything that has happened since Long Way Down – that is explained briefly in the show, and also our recent interview with Boorman. But it’s fair to say the road to

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The boys are back in town

The trip took place late last year, and now

From the moment the familiar theme song kicks in (performed once again by Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones), a wave of nostalgia comes flooding through the television screen. And with the old crew, including Russ Malkin, David Alexanian and Claudio von Planta, back for another run, it feels like we’re home after a long time away.

The production level has naturally improved thanks to better technology (and surely a much larger budget), but there is still a welcome familiarity in the show – the travelogue style of filming, editing and music selection, and the quirky humour has been retained.

Electric rumblings

The biggest, and most publicised, difference, is the use of electric motorcycles – specifically the street-orientated Harley-Davidson LiveWire. And while H-D is surely rubbing its hands together, the choice of motorcycle is more than just a publicity stunt – it provides the very backbone of the story in Long Way Up.

Riding an electric motorcycle 13,000 miles from the bottom of South America to Los Angeles hasn’t been done before (at least that we know of), and some might believe it to be impossible. The electric concept creates much drama and tension in the show, but it also gives the journey a pioneering spirit, almost as if McGregor and Boorman are early 20th century explorers searching for a new-found land.

You don’t have to watch the show to know that there inevitably will be flat batteries, charging issues, and economical riding. All of these factors play into the storyline and, while we’re pretty sure that they will make it in the end, you can’t help but question whether it is possible.

Fantasy land

The first episode includes mandatory preparation scenes, with a mad rush to meet deadlines and get to the start line by the agreed date. As always, the team makes it by the skin of their teeth. By Ep.2, we’re transported to the bottom of South America for start of the epic journey.

Both Round and Down featured fascinating locations, but the South American setting in Up feels a lot more magical and awe-inspiring. The development of drone technology certainly helps, with plenty of wide-angle aerial shots for your eyeballs to feast on. But when the team arrive in Ushuaia to begin the trip, it feels like they have stepped into a fairy-tale, with snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes as far as the eye can see.

Despite the step-up in production, the bigger budgets, the electric motorcycles, and the arguably bigger logistical effort, the beginning of the Long Way Up journey feels a little more subdued than previous editions. Usually, the team starts in the UK, with family, friends, and every other man and his dog showing up to see them off.

This time, Boorman and McGregor quietly (no pun intended) leave an empty car park (well, except for a busload of school kids) at the bottom of South America in the middle of winter. And there is an air of doubt and fear that hangs over them like a dark cloud. Will they make it all the way?

The third episode ends on somewhat of a cliff-hanger, as Boorman and McGregor express their frustrations at the ever-present charging issues. They clearly have doubts about how long they can keep this up, and whether they will get enjoyment out of it. The audience is left with the same sentiment.

Everything is gonna be alright

But as the credits roll to another Sterophonics number, Kelly Jones sings ‘everything is gonna be alright’ and we are given a glimmer of hope that it will work out. And if my knowledge of popular culture is correct, then it will get better, because that’s how film and television works. The heroes always prevail in the end. And still, I’m hanging for the fourth episode this Friday to find out.

Some people have expressed frustration that Long Way Up is on AppleTV+, but it is absolutely worth paying the $7.99 per month to watch Ewan and Charley go round once more. And you can cancel once the show finishes, or even take advantage of the free trial.

Besides, Boorman told us that if enough people watch Long Way Up, they will do a fourth installment from London to Australia and call it Long Way Down Under. Come on people, stop complaining and watch the show – it is well worth it. It's the next best thing to travelling the world (damn you COVID-19).

VERDICT: 4/5