Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 11.
STORY: C
You can’t go wrong with an underdog-chasing-their-dreams story.
Underdog stories have been around longer than movies have. Gran Turismo is like Rocky and Rudy, but on a race track. It’s like Cool Runnings and The Karate Kid but in a gaming chair. It’s Hoosiers and it’s Dodgeball, except it’s clearly sponsored by Sony PlayStation Productions.
It’s not wrong to say GranTurismo isn’t as good as those other movies (to be fair, not many are). And you can definitely ding the film for not aiming higher than its basic, bare minimum plot.
But ultimately you can’t go wrong making (or watching) a movie like this. It taps into the reason why we love going to the movies. We want to see other people chasing their dreams because that inspires us to imagine ourselves chasing them too. We want to see what’s possible.
PEOPLE: B-
Nobody is playing this type of character today better than David Harbour.
Archie Madekwe, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, and the rest of the cast are definitely worthy of being on this track. But it’s David Harbour who gets the checkered flag, lapping them all.
Harbour has got range as an actor, but he’s at his best playing the surly old dude hiding a heart of gold beneath a gruff and crusty exterior. Jack Salter is Sheriff Hopper in a fire suit. He doesn’t let people in easily, but those lucky enough to win a glimpse of his well guarded soul are rewarded with abundant love. He’s really great in this film.
FILM NERD STUFF: C
The racing scenes are thrilling, but confusing.
The racing scenes do half of their job. They are extremely exciting. My evidence: as I drove home after the movie, I gripped the steering wheel more tightly whenever a car switched lanes behind me. Dashed cornering lines kept magically popping up on the interstate’s pavement. And - while making sure to obey all traffic laws and statutes - I raced home as swiftly as I could.
Yet as thrilling as the racing scenes are, they are also confusing. The confusion prevents us from getting emotionally invested in those scenes. As silly may sound to be emotionally invested in very fast cars, those races are the most important moments of Jann’s journey.
If we can’t connect during those moments, it becomes difficult to connect to Jann himself. Losing connection with the main character during the most important steps of his or her journey is the last thing you can afford to have happen in an underdog story.
WANNA BUY A GAME? (Elective Class): D
The film’s vibe feels more like a commercial than a celebration.
I am familiar with exposition. I understand Gran Turismo (the movie) needs to explain Gran Turismo (the game/simulator) at the beginning of the film to the people in the audience who aren’t familiar with it. However, the way the filmmakers decide to deliver that information comes off as a blatant attempt to sell copies of the game.
Compare that choice to the choice Barbie (the movie) made. The beginning of that film explains what Barbie (the doll) has meant to people over the years, but it’s done in a natural way while Barbie (the movie character) explores the Real World. Gran Turismo literally uses a podium and a Powerpoint presentation to explain itself.
As the film progresses, its underdog story and gripping race scenes eventually overtake its initial off-putting tone. Whether you think it takes too long to do so will vary by taste.
FINAL COMMENTS:
It feels like this summer is the start of a coming wave of movies based on games and toys. Barbie achieved its interstellar success by allowing a talented filmmaker like Greta Gerwig to follow her unique vision. Sony correctly hired Neill Blomkamp, a guy who is most definitely a talented filmmaker also. Yet, while watching this film, it feels as if Sony sidelined his vision and decided to prioritize their balance sheet instead.
GranTurismo is a fine enough popcorn movie. You can find much worse at the summer multiplex. But here’s hoping we get more Barbies than Gran Turismos in the coming years.