Colin McRae : Rally Legend DVD

If you're even remotely interested in the world of rally-driving, then you won't need to read a review of Colin McRae – Rally Legend by me in order to rush out and buy a copy. In fact, as it was released in December of 2007, there's every chance that you've already bought your own copy, or received one as a gift at Christmas.

I feel that I should point out, right from the start, that this authorised biography-style production was already being made before McRae's tragic death in September, 2007. There's a chance that anyone seeing the DVD on a shelf may jump to the wrong conclusion and assume that it was made as a result of his death and be put off. Rest assured, this features very recent interviews with Colin McRae, is fully authorised, and it is fitting that it should be released.

The DVD itself is presented by Derick Allsop, who was not only the official biographer of Colin McRae, but also a personal friend of his. Colin McRae was never one to go out and seek TV cameras and often came across as fairly reserved when talking to a camera, but he seems particularly relaxed in this DVD. I'm not sure if he'd have been the same with another interviewer, as many 'celebrities' have to be on their guard when being quizzed by somebody else. Let's face it, many journalists are looking for a 'scoop', so you can't blame them.

Rally footage abounds, with a look back at the really early days, with a young Colin McRae in a Talbot Sunbeam, right through to his WRC exploits and even his post WRC exploits, which included having some 'fun' in a MK11 Escort and the development of his own purpose-built rally car, the R4. The in-car footage is, as ever, quite scary!

I'm particularly pleased that Duke Video included the Manx Rally footage from May of 2007. To me, this was probably the most 'personal' section of the whole DVD, where you get to see what Colin McRae was all about – having fun, but still with that competitive edge, and wooing crowds! The banter with his competitors was still there, too, which was all part of what made the Colin McRae era of rally driving so good. You could also see that although Colin McRae had been a world champion, made a not inconsiderable amount of money and also become a household name at the same time with his computer games, his feet had never left the ground. Here was a man who seemed to have time for everyone – fame didn't ruin that.

With family interviews included, too, I found a couple of parts of this DVD particularly moving. Seeing Colin with his son Johnny, who died alongside him, gave me a real lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. In fact, just typing about it has the same effect.

I'm a 30-something bloke with two children. If my two girls came and told me that they wanted to be a like a footballing star or a pop star, I'd probably be horrified. I'm afraid that I don't see many so-called modern celebrities as suitable role models for any children, especially my own! However, when they're old enough, I'm going to show them Colin McRae – Rally Legend and explain to them why Colin McRae is probably the only sporting hero I've only ever really put up on a pedestal.

Colin McRae – Rally Legend is a Duke DVD production and is priced at just £16.99. If I had to chuck every one of my DVD's, videos and books away, this would be the last one to go. It's the one I'm going to watch when I want to be reminded of not only one of the best eras in rallying, but also of a true sporting legend. It's an old cliché, but if you're only going to buy one motorsport DVD this year, then you should buy this one.

Running time is 138 minutes and the DVD also includes bonus footage. For further details, visit www.dukevideo.com

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