Nor is Mr. Waterston about to rein in his full-throttle performance merely because we have diminished notions of heroes in the 1990's.

His full-throttle performances of three Hungarian Rhapsodies by Liszt won lusty ovations from the audience, and the playing, especially in the "Rakoczy March" Rhapsody, had an athletic energy that made a visceral impact.

The strongest element of the movie is the rangy, full-throttle performance of Ms. Cannon, who in more than one scene must come completely unstrung.

Yet despite a full-throttle performance from Mr. Sinise and top-of-the-line production values, "Cuckoo's Nest" mostly feels just cute instead of confrontational.

The engine was sputtering, incapable of a sustained full-throttle performance.

It was a warm evening, there was a full moon, the frogs and insects were putting on a full-throttle performance and he remembered the feeling of being "in something very beautiful and very special."

Yet despite a full-throttle performance from its leading man, Gary Sinise, this show mostly feels just cute instead of confrontational.

Constant-flow injection systems continue to be used at the highest levels of drag racing, where full-throttle, high-RPM performance is key.