Gran Turismo

Blomkamp and a good video game adaptation! Blomkamp made his second best film after Disctrict 9 and not much was expected from Gran Turismo. The trailers were mediocre, we all know the curse of video game adaptations and thus the result itself is more than satisfactory. A fan of racing films will definitely be satisfied, if only because genre films like this don't come along very often. Story-wise, of course, it's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a likeable story that has heart, likeable characters, emotion, suspense and a proper adrenaline rush. The main character is a great video game player who gets the chance to race in a real car against pro players, but he will have to go through tough training and it won't be for free. Archie Madekwe did his best in the See series, so here he has his first proper role and he does a decent job. The best thing about the whole film is David Harbour, who has one of the best roles of his career, tasked with preparing the players for the real "Fight", and he is a joy to watch. The races themselves are good as well. They are thrilling, have great cinematography, when it comes to crashes it is spectacular and nasty, the rivalry between the other players works and the final Le Mans race is a really adrenaline-pumping and thrilling ride. I found myself tearing up a few times during the film, which I hadn't counted on at all here. I enjoyed it immensely, I would definitely put the film in the stellar racing trio, Le Mans, Rush, Gran Turismo. I will definitely watch the film again. 8.5/10. (10/16/2023)

More of a nice fan-service than a full-fledged drama with emotional charge and theses from life like Rush. Gran Turismo has some nice moments, decent circuit racing scenes, solid unobtrusive visual effects and new faces, plus the old ones are cool and don't get in the way. Hounsou and Harbour do what's expected of them, and Bloom is just Bloom. The relationship line, however, is completely unnecessary. This film isn't talked about much probably due to weaker promotion or a specific target audience, it certainly won't become as popular as Nikki Lauda's story, but it has passable qualities. (10/13/2023)

I'm not a fan of PC racing games or real GT racing, yet I enjoyed Gran Turismo in the cinema immensely. Blomkamp's film has an incredibly dynamic energy thanks to the premise, which balances out the fact that it's a fairly simple story: about a young man who manages to cleverly apply his extensive virtual world experience to real racing. Watching it in the cinema, I felt like I was right on the racetrack, where a single hesitation or ill-advised move can have fatal consequences. Of the cast, David Harbour impressed me the most, but Archie Madekwe in the lead role managed to appeal to me as well (btw, Orlando Bloom, who I haven't seen in anything for a long time, has really aged). In the end, I left the cinema, where the audiovisual qualities of the film stood out, extremely satisfied. A bonus was the classic hit song Orinoco Flow. (10/26/2023)

Putting aside the fact that the idea of a nerd gamer wanting to be on par with professional drivers within weeks is endearingly naive, I have to humbly admit that this film won me over from the start and I'm more than satisfied. And I say that as a NON-fan of cars, the game and this hobby in general, so for anyone more into cars and racing, this is pretty much a clear five star. In fact, the racing is clearly the biggest asset, and it is without question confidently and hellishly well filmed, the cinematography is excellent, the sound design and tuning can be felt from your seat literally all around you, and all the races have such a vibe that I found myself tensing up and almost not breathing – and again, I remind you that I don't even consider myself the target audience for the film. The acting trio of Orlando Bloom, David Harbour and Archie Madekwe are full of feeling, emotionally the film is also appropriate to the genre, everything simply works as it should, and this is all perfectly complemented by the kick-ass racing in the filler scenes. It's a huge adrenaline ride full of cars, action and solid music that knocked my balls off and which I actually regret missing in the cinema. With the final realization that this is a story based on real events (lol, I really thought this couldn't realistically happen), I have to raise the rating to full because this is insane :D Neil Blomkamp is a clear guarantee of quality. (10/01/2023)

If you're expecting just another average game adaptation because you're familiar with Gran Turismo, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. I went in not knowing much about the film's plot and was delighted by the direction the creators took. They told a story based on real events, which added depth and authenticity. With Neil Blomkamp at the helm, the film is executed with style, creativity, and plenty of engaging moments. (03/26/2024)