Directed By Neill Blomkamp

Starring – David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe

The Plot – Based on the unbelievable, inspiring true story of a team of underdogs, a struggling, working-class gamer (Madekwe), a failed former race car driver (Harbour), and an idealistic motorsport executive (Bloom) who risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.

Rated PG-13 for intense action and some strong adult language

(4) GRAN TURISMO – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube

POSITIVES

Without the veteran expertise of Blomkamp behind the wheel of this vehicle, this gaming adaptation would be a lot worse, but as it stands Neill steers an immersive dreamers tale that not only conjures the very essence of the trailblazing game, but also the high-stakes vulnerabilities of an Indy car racer. He does this with his rich versatility and texture of his intimate camera angles, in and out of the car, smoothly weaving a vividly commanding outline of the danger factor of the sport that always felt apparent in the games that accompanied them, while highlighting a visceral quality to the film’s presentation that looks surprisingly mature for a video game adaptation. In addition, Blomkamp’s decision to imbed the presentation with a series of visual cues that pay homage to that game, but in the real world, dazzles the canvas with the kind of frenetic flare that keep it simultaneously fun and intoxicating, in the heat of the moment, leading to some of the best racing sequences that I have seen in a film since 2012’s “Rush”. Beyond Blomkamp, his efforts are supported by a true story built entirely into the foundation of the game’s history, keeping most of the burden of responsibility free from catering to the kind of fandom who only want a film if it completely represents every aspect about the game that they grew up adoring. The story does occasionally feel like a two hour advertisement for Sony and Nissan, respectively, but what allows it to succeed is the keg of emotions that it continuously unloads on a roller-coaster of an experience, with thick dramatic tension and comedic quips that balance a beautiful symmetry in the foundation of the movie’s atmosphere. On top of this, the dynamic between Jann and Jack grows with the kind of lived-in naturalism that is constantly ripe with indulgence, beginning stoically tense in the beginning, before evolving Jack as a protector of sorts for the youngly naive Jann. For Harbour, this easily cements the best performance of the film, and one not necessarily sacrificial of his usual endless charisma and charm, while constantly elevating the dialogue, but for Archie Madekwe, it’s the actor’s biggest step forward after memorable turns in “Midsommar” and “Beau is Afraid”, enriching his appeal with the kind of human relatability amid innocence that effortlessly emits itself through the tribulations throughout his life, or even the limitations inside of a claustrophobic front seat. Finally, much respect to the film’s production designers for not only accurately replicating the look and vehicles from the game, but also in the intimate details of the tracks themselves, which will feel like subtly necessary fan service of the most appropriate variety. Because this team spends so much time harvesting the natural transition from the gaming world to the screen, there’s an indisputable essence of respect and admiration for this property, and with “Super Mario Bros”, making 2023 the year when video game adaptations finally crossed the threshold consistently.

NEGATIVES

This script from a trio of writers feels as overstuffed as three different ideals about the story can muster, with a bloated 128-minute run time that doesn’t know what to properly cut throughout its journey. For starters, the film’s need to include every aspect about Jann’s life means that some won’t receive the kind of focus necessary to properly flesh it out, primarily in the afterthought of the movie’s romance, or the budding heads of the father and son dynamic completely wasting what could’ve been a highly impactful turn from film veteran Djimon Honsou. But even worse than that, the film montages its way throughout many of these arcs, making it feel like a miniseries of television about Jann that was forcefully compressed to cinematic timing, and in turn rushing through a majority of the execution, despite the film’s aforementioned need to shoe-horn as much as possible about this story. In addition to this, that two hour run time among a track of underutilized arcs leads to pacing that doesn’t always keep the film firmly investing, especially in the film’s second act, which feels like filler for the more important and showy parts of the movie’s engagement. This definitely did lead to some momentary boredom with the film that narratively doesn’t match the urgency of the races and their corresponding high stakes and did echo the need for another cut in the editing room that could’ve easier spread the margins of this story. It also doesn’t help that the script itself is compromised by stock dialogue that feels overly emphasized towards selling a two-minute trailer, instead of illustrating a believable conscience in the depths of the character, but also the full tour of underdog sports cliches that easily make this a predictable watch, regardless of how little you know about the real-life story. Because of such, “Gran Turismo” often has difficulty in separating itself from the pack of video game films or sports biopics that generally follow the same outline, leaving it ripe with the kind of familiarity that takes its finished product down a step with a complete lack of creativity.

OVERALL
“Gran Turismo” isn’t in pole position to lead the pack of video game adaptations, but its firm attention to detail and dazzling direction from Blomkamp makes it a real contender to keep momentum for the subgenre moving forward. Though the film is plagued by a bloated script of imbalanced arcs and cliche overkill, the heart from Harbour and Madekwe steer its vision in lane, with just enough momentum to cross the finish line with pride.

My Grade: 6/10 or C