Anthony’s notice: This review is posted during SAG-AFTRA strike against AMPTP, meaning many major reviewers (commonly on Youtube) are either in delays, halts or having a limited review. But as for me, I wasn’t part of the SAG-AFTRA, since im working on a thrift store (though my vacation will coming to an end, as im writing this), meaning im a minor reviewer in DA that i won’t be effected from the strike to call “Promoting AMPTP products” (so I thought), since reviews are meant to sharing our thoughts of any medias like movies, TV shows, video games, etc. Of course, we shall be supportive to actors and writers for their solidarity in movies and TVs industries. Thank you.
Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to Movie Review.
This year, we have The Super Mario Bros Movie, while its not perfect, but it is possibly the biggest animated movie of the year and probably the biggest movie based video game of the year, which, as I said in my review, its pretty good, but could’ve been perfect based on pacing that’s all about action than story telling and questionable casting of the main plumber. Despite the flaws, its a pretty good movie, if the execution could’ve work. So for the second in a row of my Movie Review with movie based game, it maybe odd to noticing when we have a movie with the name of the most famous racing game in the world of Playstation.
For those you don’t know, Grand Turismo is a racing video game series that’s created by Polyphony Digital, first introduced in 1997 on PS1 directed by Kazunori Yamauchi and produced by Shuhei Yoshida. It was unlike other racing games we played before, unlike most racing games from dodging cars or battling with throwing shells or boosting with mushrooms, here, this one is all about taking racing simulation to a next level with to feel like you’re in a racing for real, bigger graphic and even licensed car brands. It became so successful that Polyphony made more GT games, and with popularity grew, it treated it as an actual sports to building up players to becoming racers in their dreams, which in 2008, they brought us “GT Academy” an award winning show program to train to becoming a racer by playing video game and finally, becoming a real racer. The academy went on until closing the doors after 2016, but to this day, GT is always being use into Esports to this day. Which is exactly what we have for today’s review.
“Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story” is a 2023 sports drama film with, obviously, based on true story, that was directed by Neill Blomkamp, produced by Doug Belgrad, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan and Dana Brunetti, and written by Jason Hall, Zach Baylin (for screenplay) and Alex Tse (for story).
The idea of this movie came from last decade ago, where Sony (the company with Playstation and their movie studios) wanted to have a movie based on Gran Turismo, with Alex Tse brought in and the director was originally gonna be Top Gun Maverick director Joseph Krosinski in 2025, but he bowed out three years later. With Sony are passionate of movie based on video games (for better or for worse) they created “Playstation Productions” in 2019, a company that are only making movies or shows based on video games with Sony license. So when they brought movie based on GT came in, its no stranger PS Production pick it up for making this movie, with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp came in as the new director. But rather than making their own story, this is gonna be a true story of Esport player turned racer named Jann Mardenborough (in fact, Mardenborough himself as came in co-producer and stuntman for racing scenes, along with consultant for actors to driving race cars)
So, with all that said, is the movie could inspiring us the be a racer, or should we stick to video game without putting our lives at risk?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
Its no stranger that its one of those underdog tale with video game element to have life imitates the arts (aka video), so the writing will make sense for it, right?
We introduce our main teen name Jann Mardenborough, who’s a passionate motorsport who likes to be in racing in his dream since his childhood, especially for his binge playing of Gran Turismo, either himself or in online with one of his friends. But his father is overly hesitant to his son that following digital motorsport to real life is a complete risk, since he wanted his son to be in soccer (aka football if you’re in Europe). Meanwhile, we have Danny Moore, the marketing executive from Nissan that based on the attention of racing sim all over the internet, he came up the idea to creating GT Academy to give racing gamers to becoming a real racer, as well as hiring driver turned mechanic named Jack Salter to becoming a trainer of GT Academy, even though he’s hesitant too, but accepted after leaving Team Capa from an A-Hole racer name Nicholas Capa. With GT Academy is formed, its up to Jann to follow the footstep to becoming from racing gamer to real racer with unfortunately accepting to his life in the line to race without life risking.
Its a pretty standard underdog tale of a main kid who’s rising up to the ultimate challenge of motorsports while playing video game that we always have a dream to becoming the best racer, even if its risky that its not a video game, this is real that you gotta race, like we can’t have a power to restart the race, its always gotta be “What you signed is what you’re getting into” after playing video games. That’s one part that probably bothering me, the writing is, while understandable for the message for the underdog with putting our lives on the line, but do we really want a constant reminder to “Keep Calm and Race!”, I mean we get, Jann is on real wheels and let him racing with his confidence, without the concern.
However, despite the underdog tale we like to following up, but one part that I have an issue is the movie takes place on. In many movies that I watched on, they have to follow the time where it takes place on for the plot or so, like say, Rush, one of my favorite movie based on true story of the famous rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, but most importantly, the movie takes place in the 1970s, which it makes sense for historians, though im not historian expect of modern time, but when it comes to Gran Turismo movie, I think they completely missed their mark. Which in the actual time, Jann entered GT Academy to build up his dream to become a racer back in 2011, which it was taken place in PS3 days when he and other players played Gran Turismo 6, which it would’ve makes sense for a movie taken place in early 2010s. But here, they jumped all the way in 2020s with PS5 days, which it didn’t make any sense to follow, as well as GT Academy didn’t exist since it closed in 2016. But another historical element that really didn’t make any sense (spoiler warning) is the inclusion of Jann’s horrific crash in Nürburgring Nordschleife in the movie, only its another part that it missed the mark, but also tasteless for narrative. Like we all know that Jann didn’t crash in early 2010s, that was back in 2015 when he had an airborne crash to the fence, while he survived, but one guest was killed from the crash. Its pretty bad to hear that, but putting this in the movie is just not only misleading the timeline, but also downright controversial inclusion in the movie.
While the timeline is very loose to follow the story, similar to other film based on true story, say “Fighting with my Family”, but in motorsports, along with tasteless inclusion that didn’t happen, but the story is good and standard for underdog tale after binge playing GT series, along with accepting that this real and putting life on the line in an expensive race cars.
The Presentation
While the writing isn’t as perfect, but hey, the presentation of this movie looks pretty good, even though the budget is somewhat low as $60M.
When It comes to racing the location is mandatory to have a familiar tracks around the world for racing sequences from Silverstone in UK, the infamous Nürburgring in Germany, Red Bull Ring in Austria (my favorite track in F1), Dubai Autodrome in United Arab Emirates (or UAE or Emirates for short) and, “La piece de resistance”, Circuit de La Sarthe in Le Mans, France. Sure, they even filmed in Hungary to start filming in, I think filming in Hungary is meant to be Jann’s hometown to act like Cardiff in Wales. Though while it has a nice race tracks to filming there, but aside Dubai isn’t in a game, but some tracks that I think didn’t make the cut, either time saving their budget, not on script or maybe didn’t have the right to film on the track like Spa-Francorshamps in Belgium (Btw the movie was actually premiered in the track in June 30th, fascinating), Suzuka in Japan and maybe even some tracks in USA like Laguna Seca or maybe even Willow Springs, im just saying.
Of course, what better way the most highlighted parts of this movie is racing, cause after all this is Gran Turismo movie, you know, real racing simulation with real cars in many tracks? Well, the racing scenes are pretty fun to watch with many familiar tracks. Of course the most common cars we’ve seen in racing sequences is the use of Nissan, it is true Nissan had a deal with Polyphony to creating GT Academy with the use of Nissan cars, notably the Nissan GT-R for qualifying or even racings. Of course its not just Nissan GT-R that its often use, but also Nissan’s own LMP car in the climatic 24h of Le Mans. However for the latter, in reality, Jann wasn’t driving LMP1 from what I can tell for the car design he drives, but instead, he drove LMP2 car back in 2013 Le Mans, but I won’t tell about from spoiler, cause fiction is always have spoilers than real life itself for, again, creative liberty. Of course, as I said from the beginning, Jann Mardenborough himself even joined in the movie not only as co-producer, but also a stunt driver for racing sequences.
One thing that I like is the way they filmed, and this is where Neill Blomkamp directing brought in that the best way to describing his direction is the movie almost acting like a documentary movie thanks to his success of District 9, which is based on the creative camera angle from either hand-held or even in a helicopter shot, the names of the competitors at the corner during the montage of GT Academy, along with some use of photo-realism CG. Its pretty good what Neill brought us for his film direction that he acts some of his movies playing like a documentary, il give an appreciation for his style.
However, one part that I got nit-picky, is the some CG is questionably bad, for example, during the climax of Le Mans, the movie transits to a flashback with all pieces of the car taking off and ohh boy, I see a not-so realistic CG quality it looks, like it looks likes a PS4 graphic, pretty ironic that its a movie based on video game. Sure, some CG parts like acting like video game or imagining you’re in a race car is pretty good, but the Le Mans with flashback part is the biggest botched up CG.
While some CG part is good with one botchy part, but the film’s presentation of racing and Neill’s direction is outstanding to watch.
The Characters
While the writing aren’t as good, you think the characters could save the movie? Well, yes and no.
Lets start off with fictional version of Jann Mardenborough (played by Archie Madekwe), he’s the main protagonist that, like any underdog stories, he likes to following his dream to be a racer ever since he likes to see car shows and even binge playing Gran Turismo, while working in retail and living with his mixed reaction parents. I find him passable that he’s in double emotion that sometimes he’s gotta learn in his hard way since he played the game, but other times he could be nervous for unable to accepting his life on the line for even trying to overtaking. Even though he’s the main focus, which at least some of his writing is ok, but I think Archie did descent role, he may not has charismatic, but still fair.
Next up is Jack Salter (played by David Harbour, aka Red Guardian in MCU), he’s a former driver turned mechanic and now coach GT Academy, along with being a mentor to our main hero. I think he easily stole the spotlight, it may not have a perfect writing, but boy does David delivers his performance for his lines delivery and even some moments he made me laugh (for the most part). I think he’s likable for not just David’s delivery, but also some of the writing of his character development is pretty good, even if he’s like the equivalent of Micky Goldmill from Rocky, but hey, il give a credit for David’s delivery.
And after that, Danny Moore (played by Orlando Bloom), he’s the marketing executive of Nissan who gave the creation of GT Academy for high hope to see gaming racer turning into a real racer like Jann for the case of his sponsor of Nissan. I find him passionate, but could’ve give him more development, sure he gave birth of GT Academy and keeping his brand for Jann’s career, but again, its more likely it focuses on Jann than Danny, its a shame, cause I think he’s also descent and Orlando (being a big name like David Harbour) did a good job of his role. And yes, im aware that Danny is meant to be movie version of Darren Cox, name changing aside, at least it followed well, aside of questionable timeline.
As for the rest of the casts, they’re there for development, but they’re more like a token characters that you can easily list the characters’ cliché.
There’s Steve Mardenborough (played by Djimon Hounsou) is a former footballer who’s concern and sorta overprotective father over Jann’s dream to becoming a real racer, cliché, yes, but il give a respect to Djimon’s performance, while Lesley (played by former Spice Girl member Geri Halliwell) who’s Jann’s mother who gave an appreciation to let him going on racing wheels, the same cannot be said to Jann’s brother Coby (played by Daniel Puig), who’s just there to hanging out with friends and possibly following his father’s footstep to become a footballer, Matty Davis (played by Darren Barnet) who’s Jann’s rival during GT Academy, but he’s pretty much an afterthought to be a “rival”, and there’s Nicholas Capa (played by Josha Stradowski) a hot-headed A-Hole driver who’s being aggressive with his gold Lamborghini, which he maybe a potential villain, but much like Matty, he didn’t get much of screen time for, again, mainly focusing on Jann Mardenborough.
Quick fun now, they even included the creator of GT series Kazunori Yamauchi (played by Takehiro Hira), though he has nothing to do with a plot, but its important to adding him in a movie for deal of creating GT Academy. Plus, Kazunori himself made a cameo in the movie, but I won’t tell where he is.
The characters are mixed, they have a potential and well-written, but much like thr story, they could’ve been better for some lackluster development and less screen appearance.
And now for my Final Opinion of this film.
Overall, Gran Turismo is a kick-ass movie with amazing presentation for Neill’s direction, fun racing scenes, some good characters, a descent message with simple underdog with cars, cause I love motorsports that I love to see a kick-ass racing.
But the major problem of this movie is the writing itself, like its nearly all over with questionable timeline where some moments fits in, but having a controversial crash in Germany is both badly follow the timeline and tasteless as a purpose of narration. And the timeline, good lord, the timeline itself didn’t even follow very well that it feels like we’re stuck in PS5 days than being in PS3 days in order to… You know, follow the timeline proper than jumping all over the place for the sake of creative liberty, the story’s setting really disappointed me that, again, I just wish if they follow the timeline in a right way instead screwing up with some cringing inaccurate to completely missed the mark.
Though im sure this movie is for GT fans that im sure some will love this movie, but for me, while I may like the movie, but again, the story would’ve been better to follow the timeline. This is the film that you can watch once. But still, as a fan of motorsports, the racing scenes are fun to watch. Its kick-ass movie, but not as highly kick-ass as Rush for the execution of the story and its writing.
For my rating, im probably gonna give it a 7.5/10, sure its not great, but as a fan of motorsport, its definitely fun, but not as highly perfect for its writing.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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