DVDs in Review

James May's Big Ideas

Title: James May's Big Ideas

Release date: June 22 2009

Certificate: E (Exempt)

Format: DVD

DVD RRP: £17.99

Rating: 4/5

Funded by the Open University and spearheaded by James May, the most sensible host from 'Top Gear', with science being the chief subject matter, there was the chance that this could be rather dull.

But James May wouldn't have that. For all of his slow driving and insistence on things having their proper place, the presenter's passionate enthusiasm for machinery and technology shines through every minute.

Here, May travels the world armed with his wit and longing to learn something new about subjects he already holds almost encyclopaedic knowledge for. The format is stylistically similar to his previous ventures 'James May's Top Toys' and 'James May's 20th Century'.

Via these three episodes we learn about the ideas that seem like science fiction but are actually surely becoming science fact. Captain Slow travels the world and gets to test out a flying car, a jetpack and even chats to someone who's made a flying saucer.

It's isn't all just flying around either. May looks into teleportation, alternative fuel sources and 'man-machines' (which can carry the towering man with ease).

Plenty of the technology is a good few years off and not all that practical at the moment, and May (for all his lovable hosting skills) isn't much of a documentary filmmaker but this does offer a fascinating glimpse at the future.

It isn't science fiction nor fact, but it floats marvellously between, just like his 'Big Wine Adventure' did with sobriety and drunkenness. Amateur science buffs will certainly want to pick this up.