But the transition from radio gab to TV isn't always smooth. At times, this documentary can't decide what to be: a lighthearted romp with Click and Clack or a serious meditation on technology. The Magliozzi brothers turn up periodically to gawk and guffaw. But the backdrop for the film is a more sober narration by actor John Lithgow. The talking heads are serious, indeed. Then, every once in a while, a weird image pops up: a picture of a chicken and an egg, a smiley face, a frowny face.
Even the Magliozzis don't seem entirely comfortable, outside the rhythms of the studio and the subjects of oil and grease. Their banter often feels scripted in a way that it doesn't on the radio. Here's a moment when they tour an auto show in Detroit, where car prototypes share the spotlight with beauty-pageant types:
Ray: "I thought you were interested in these models."
Tom: "I am."
Ray: "I meant the cars."
Buh-dum.
They carry this show on the road, visiting car manufacturers and think tanks, making wisecracks and fart jokes from California to Reykjavik. It's pleasant enough to watch, but it's actually not as interesting as this documentary is when it gets down to actual information.
Fortunately, there's a lot of that here, clearly explained, presented in a tone that's both serious and hopeful. (Happily, the script dispenses quickly with alarm and moves right into potential solutions.) We learn about the promise and challenges of powering cars with ethanol and hydrogen fuel cells. We visit a Colorado think tank that has developed a sturdy, light, aerodynamic car whose frame is made of carbon composite instead of steel.
The more the technology is explained, the more it seems attainable. Still, even the most promising advances are years, if not decades, from mass production. The talking heads and voice-over suggest that it's up to major car manufacturers to convert to new technology, and to the government to regulate fuel efficiency with more vigor.
That's where Tom and Ray might have been more useful: Hardly short of opinions on the radio, they might have been unleashed to give someone a cheery but pointed lecture, whether it's the Bush administration or the viewing public. As it is, they seem content to stay largely on the sidelines, laughing all the way to the garage.
Joanna Weiss can be reached at weiss@globe.com.
