First Take: Gran Turismo - apparently video games CAN make dreams come true

 SYNOPSIS: Based on the unbelievable, inspiring true story of a team of underdogs - a struggling, working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport exec - who risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.

A script that’s been in the works for a decade, multiple directors, a studio who have mixed form with the video game film… yes, Sony are pulling the trigger on a movie about ‘the ultimate driving simulator’ (although us Forza Motorsport loyalists have a thing or two to say about that). And knowing the source material, it’s one of the rare times a film gets the 'feel’ of a game it is adapting spot on.

Yes, Neill Blomkamp is an inventive choice to take on a project like this, but what he brings to this is the ability to use VFX to his advantage - which is smart considering how he does the racing sequences, using graphics from the game itself (GT7 for those who are in the know), but ultimately at 2 hours 14 minutes the pacing does feel off at times. It’s written by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin, who again, do an admirable job translating the game and this story to film, but it pains me to say that it’s just too good to be true at times. Behind the camera we have Jacques Jouffret shooting the action, and rounding it out is a score from Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski. Technically, this is a fine enough film.

On to the cast, and welcome to the big time Archie Madekwe. He absolutely nails it as Jann Mardenborough (which makes sense as the actual Jann co-produced the film and is his own stunt driver), and supporting him is David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, Maeve Courtier-Lilley and many others. However, one piece of casting feels slightly off, and that is Geri Halliwell (best known to Formula 1 fans as Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s wife) and her role as Jann’s mum. I can understand how and why they cast her, they need big names to sell a film like this, but with the quality of the rest of this cast it feels like a bit of a weak link.

THE VERDICT

It is far from a perfect film, but Gran Turismo does an admirable job at adapting the Mardenborough story with conviction - albeit with a few major artistic liberties here and there, creating a film that will use the current SAG/WGA situation to explain its success (or more likely lack thereof) once the box office numbers hit.

RATING: 3.5/5