Need for Speed
Directed by: Scott Waugh
Written by: George Gatins, John Gatins
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Scott Mescudi, Rami Malek, Ramon Rodriguez, Harrison Gilbertson, Dakota Johnson, Stevie Ray Dallimore, Michael Keaton
Action/Crime/Drama/Thriller - 130 min
Written by: George Gatins, John Gatins
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Scott Mescudi, Rami Malek, Ramon Rodriguez, Harrison Gilbertson, Dakota Johnson, Stevie Ray Dallimore, Michael Keaton
Action/Crime/Drama/Thriller - 130 min
Need for Speed is ridiculous; it’s also fun as hell. Did you think The Fast and The Furious (2001) contained far too much plot? Well, Dreamworks is here to fix that for you displaying the racecars front and center shoving all the luggage like story and characters in the back seat. Cars costing more money than most of us will see in a lifetime screech and squeal through small towns, across interstates, and even in downtown city blocks.
Based on a video game series, Need for Speed is technically in the same category as Super Mario Bros. (1993), Street Fighter (1994), and Doom (2005). This is not a list you want your movie included on. However, it is obvious more thought and effort was put into Need for Speed to make it a decent cinematic experience rather than lazily chasing the money of video game fans. The filmmakers are also aiming at gearheads and speed demons.
Director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor, 2012) made a very wise decision; he uses real stunt drivers and real cars to pull off the insane maneuvers performed in the film. There is no CGI and the entire project benefits from the extra labor. Yes, a car hangs beneath a helicopter suspended by some ropes, but it looks like a real car flying off a cliff rather than a computer animated one. That makes all the difference in the world in a gritty action film.
Along with the real stunts and vehicles, the story is also traditional; there is the good racecar driver and the evil racecar driver. Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame) is a great driver who for some reason or another never went anywhere; he now runs his deceased father’s auto shop that has a noticeable lack of customers. Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper, The Devil’s Double) came up alongside Tobey but advanced to the professional level and is now back on the scene casting evil glares and has Tobey’s ex-girlfriend, Anita (Dakota Johnson), hanging on his arm.
Through a series of illegal street races and some metaphorical ‘mine is bigger than yours’ one-upmanship, Tobey is wrongfully sent to prison even though Dino is at fault for the crime. Those two years give Tobey the bright idea to jump parole on day one of his release, procure a very expensive racecar, drive across country to participate in the ultimate illegal street race of the year, and get his revenge against Dino all at the same time. A very attractive British blonde, Julia (Imogen Poots, That Awkward Moment), rides shotgun on the cross continental trek and the two of them dodge racecar bounty hunters trying to stop them.
Yes, racecar bounty hunters. I am trying to show you how ludicrous the story is. However, even though the plot is ridiculous and there are plot holes and conveniences around every tire-smoking sharp turn, Need for Speed pumps adrenaline and is mostly enjoyable to watch even though there are many times you will shake your head in utter disbelief. Further helping its cause, Michael Keaton (RoboCop) shows up as an online radio host acting as a sort of Greek chorus narrating the feud and escalating the competition.
The competition frequently ends up on residential roads swerving around standard traffic, speeding the wrong way on highways, and forcing regular vehicles off the road. Just a short time ago, I would have thought nothing of this and enjoyed the action. Now, I wonder how many of those cars had ‘Baby on Board’ stickers on the rear windshield. For the young, male adolescents who will absorb the showcased 230mph speeds and the violation of every traffic law on the books, I remind you this is pure fiction and fantasy. Please leave the racing on the screen.
Based on a video game series, Need for Speed is technically in the same category as Super Mario Bros. (1993), Street Fighter (1994), and Doom (2005). This is not a list you want your movie included on. However, it is obvious more thought and effort was put into Need for Speed to make it a decent cinematic experience rather than lazily chasing the money of video game fans. The filmmakers are also aiming at gearheads and speed demons.
Director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor, 2012) made a very wise decision; he uses real stunt drivers and real cars to pull off the insane maneuvers performed in the film. There is no CGI and the entire project benefits from the extra labor. Yes, a car hangs beneath a helicopter suspended by some ropes, but it looks like a real car flying off a cliff rather than a computer animated one. That makes all the difference in the world in a gritty action film.
Along with the real stunts and vehicles, the story is also traditional; there is the good racecar driver and the evil racecar driver. Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame) is a great driver who for some reason or another never went anywhere; he now runs his deceased father’s auto shop that has a noticeable lack of customers. Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper, The Devil’s Double) came up alongside Tobey but advanced to the professional level and is now back on the scene casting evil glares and has Tobey’s ex-girlfriend, Anita (Dakota Johnson), hanging on his arm.
Through a series of illegal street races and some metaphorical ‘mine is bigger than yours’ one-upmanship, Tobey is wrongfully sent to prison even though Dino is at fault for the crime. Those two years give Tobey the bright idea to jump parole on day one of his release, procure a very expensive racecar, drive across country to participate in the ultimate illegal street race of the year, and get his revenge against Dino all at the same time. A very attractive British blonde, Julia (Imogen Poots, That Awkward Moment), rides shotgun on the cross continental trek and the two of them dodge racecar bounty hunters trying to stop them.
Yes, racecar bounty hunters. I am trying to show you how ludicrous the story is. However, even though the plot is ridiculous and there are plot holes and conveniences around every tire-smoking sharp turn, Need for Speed pumps adrenaline and is mostly enjoyable to watch even though there are many times you will shake your head in utter disbelief. Further helping its cause, Michael Keaton (RoboCop) shows up as an online radio host acting as a sort of Greek chorus narrating the feud and escalating the competition.
The competition frequently ends up on residential roads swerving around standard traffic, speeding the wrong way on highways, and forcing regular vehicles off the road. Just a short time ago, I would have thought nothing of this and enjoyed the action. Now, I wonder how many of those cars had ‘Baby on Board’ stickers on the rear windshield. For the young, male adolescents who will absorb the showcased 230mph speeds and the violation of every traffic law on the books, I remind you this is pure fiction and fantasy. Please leave the racing on the screen.
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