This movie has the weirdest title. It’s called “Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story.” I’ve never seen that phrase worked into the actual title of a film. It’s even more confounding, considering the best character in the movie is former race car driver Jack Salter (played wonderfully by David Harbour). When I got home and googled him, I saw it was a completely fictional character. I guess that’s where the “based” part of the title comes in.
I was surprised to see this was directed by the South African Neill Blomkamp, who gave us the brilliant “District 9” almost 25 years ago.
This film lacks character development, and is rather formulaic, but I guess I’m a sucker for an underdog sports film. Even if I’m thinking elements of this were all done better in other films (An Officer and a Gentleman, Rush, and three Tom Cruise films – All the Right Moves, Days of Thunder, and Top Gun). I even thought of the documentary “Senna” that came out in 2010, which was about a popular race car driver who died on the track (we see a Senna poster on the wall in a few scenes).
It’s hard not to root for Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe). He’s a good kid with a dad (Djimon Hounsou, who is always great on screen) who doesn’t approve of what he does; or more accurately, doesn’t approve of what he doesn’t do – he doesn’t play soccer like pops did, or like his brother does. He also sits in his room playing video games all day. He’s especially good at race car games. My wife thought it was corny how they showed the VFX cars come to life and surround him as he’s playing the game and either creating a vehicle or racing (but it makes sense why they did it). They didn’t combine the video game and movie as well as the Mario Brothers film, or one of my favorite underrated movies of 2010 – “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” But it’s serviceable.
Orlando Bloom plays a marketing guy for PlayStation who comes up with an idea – he could have a competition to get the top players of the game, and train them to become real race car drivers for Nissan (that’s where it starts to remind me of “Ender’s Game”).
It was refreshing that his character, even when we see him wanting to fudge race results for a different driver who is a PR dream, is never a mustache twirling villain. That also goes for the dad, who we never once think isn’t a loving father. There’s even one scene I loved where he watches his son playing a game, and asks him why he didn’t make a certain move to pass someone on the track. A lesser filmmaker would’ve just had the dad scowling as he sipped his coffee, watching his son spending another Saturday morning in front of a video game console.
Former crew chief and driver Jack Salter (Harbour) is brought in to train these drivers, although he doesn’t think gamers stand a chance of becoming the type of athletes that can race cars.
The father played soccer professionally, and now works menial jobs. He doesn’t want his son’s pipe dreams of racing cars to cause him to end up in the same boat. On top of that, he realizes the dangers involved.
Mom is played by former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. She’s good in the role, but not given a lot to do.
There’s also a love interest (Maeve Courtier-Lilley), who’s given just a bit more to do, but not much more.
The racing scenes are exciting, with helicopter shots and drones doing some interesting things.
Some of the hip-hop in the soundtrack worked, and it was especially fun to see that the veteran crew chief likes to listen to “early Black Sabbath” on his Walkman, while his driver likes to mellow out to Kenny G and Enya on his iPad. So we hear those artists, along with the great Iggy and the Stooges song “Search and Destroy” as well as Moby and The Avalanches (I was rooting for hearing Primus’ “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” and maybe the guitar riff of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”).
Oh, and because I’m keeping track, there is a barf scene. That brings us up to 90% of movies having a throw-up scene on screen.
My wife didn’t like the film and thinks it’s just for fans of video games or race cars. I thought it was fun, and touching at times, and people that are fans of comeback, underdog sports films will enjoy it.
3 stars out of 5.