By Marina Halbert and Mika Shahar
“You mad bro?” That about sums up our experience watching Gran Turismo, an action-packed racing movie based on a nerve-wracking true story. Viewing the 2h and 14m movie from the luxury of a hot tub, I must admit, may have given us rosy-eyed glasses, but we still found plenty to criticize with the action-packed underdog story.
But first, the positives. The story was absolutely incredible. You couldn’t make that up if you tried (which they didn’t, the only creative liberties taken by the director was bringing back Jann Madenborough’s “competitors” to run the other 2 legs of the final race), and it absolutely shows. Jann demonstrated to the world with his skills the legitimacy of gaming, the power of an underdog squad, and the courage it takes to not give up. Knowing that the real Jann served as a stunt double to actor Archie Madewacke serves as no surprise; the man is absolutely unstoppable.
Additionally, the acting was superb. Orlando Bloom played his role of “money-hungry and self-centered, but still slightly caring team principal” very well, channeling his inner Toto Wolff and looking incredible doing it. Archie Madwacke delivered hard in the film, displaying the nervous energy of a new racer in combination with unearned confidence, a hard line to walk. Perhaps most impressive was David Harbour, whose convincing portrayal of a washed-up, cynical old man really brought the movie to life, adding more color to the characters of those around him and helping convey a tone of realness that the film lacked in parts.
Plus, we found the tie-in of video games to racing a very nice addition, from the numbers marking Jann’s place from time to time, to the amazing AR shifts from his car to his home playing station and vice versa. There is a lot to be said for the special effects in Gran Turismo, with the crash at Nurburgring race track being particularly well done.
However, we had some issues. For one, the script was questionable, at best. The script, written by Jason Hall and Alex Tse, and the screenplay, by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin, may have been filled with quirky and inspiring one-liners, but overall lacked believability. Perhaps it was the social disconnect between the three American-born-and-raised 50-year-old writers and the young British characters, but much of the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Some prime examples include: “u mad bro?” (coming from a middle-aged man), “hurry up fam!” and “I’m a better driver, bruv.” Despite the potential distractions the screenplay may offer, the writers did manage to produce some adrenaline-mounting lines, including “Whether you like it or not, you are in this race” and “You’re not just a sim racer anymore. You are the best in the world”.
Adding on to that, we found many of the background characters underdeveloped and two-dimensional, such as Jann’s arch nemesis, Nicholas Capa, and his girlfriend (?), Audrey (who isn’t even given a last name). This made for a disappointing and disorienting switch between the races and Jann’s personal life since the details they worked so hard to create on the track simply vanished as we met Jann’s friends and family.
In conclusion, Gran Turismo was a pretty incredible action flick with an impressive, real-life backstory and an incredible, all-star cast. It is definitely worth watching if you’re into racing, or even if you’re not and can appreciate the art of an amazing underdog story.