'Gran Turismo' Review: A Ferocious Return To Form For Blomkamp
Director Neil Blomkamp has brought the beloved video game to life with gran turismo, a racing film that should not only please fans of the source material, but adrenaline junkies as well.
Based on the real life events that inspired it, Gran Turismo follows a young man named Jann (Archie Madekwe), an avid player of the titular video game who is chosen to compete in a training program designed by Nissan to take the best players in the world and turn one of them into an actual F1 driver. The supporting cast is filled out with notable talent that includes David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and Djimon Hounsou.
Blomkamp made a name for himself with his impressive debut feature District 9, a wholly original sci-fi film that not only made a sizable impact in the genre, but cemented the director as a talent to watch going forward. Unfortunately, his output following the film has been lackluster and disappointing at best. His subsequent features, Elysium and Chappie, while well-made and directed, failed to follow through on the promise shown in his debut feature. Fortunately, his latest not only showcases his talents as a director, but as a storyteller as well, resulting in a welcome return to form.
This is a racing film that isn’t afraid to pay homage to the game on which its based, while still being able to distinguish itself in the genre with ease. Blomkamp gives the racing the kind of visual and visceral appeal it needs, delivering some truly outstanding sequences that get the adrenaline pumping. Blomkamp’s assured direction, coupled with terrific camera work and sound design, make the racing some of the best the genre has seen in quite some time.
However, the film’s biggest surprise is how it handles the characters off the track, delivering effective, emotionally compelling arcs for its main cast. Madekwe is fantastic in the lead, making for a likable underdog and selling the character’s passion and arc wonderfully. His scenes with Harbour, delivering yet another winning performance, are the highlight of the film, their dynamic undergoing a natural, earned evolution from cold and prickly to warm and supportive. The duo elevate the film above standard studio fare, crafting characters that feel three-dimensional, rather than like video game caricatures.
Jann’s relationship with his father, played by Hounsou, is also another asset the film wields effectively throughout. While there is love beneath the surface, there is also a considerable distance between them, his father thinking his son’s dreams of becoming an actual racecar driver are ludicrous and dangerous. Hounsou has been quietly delivering phenomenal performances for over a decade and remains an underrated, underutilized talent. Fortunately, Blomkamp doesn’t waste his potential, giving him several scenes where he delivers emotional knockout punches with one of his finest performances despite his relatively small screen time.
The film is certainly not without its flaws, falling victim to the tried and true formula of the underdog story. Jann’s ultimate trajectory is easy to see coming from miles away, leaving the film with very few narrative surprises. This becomes increasingly frustrating as the film tries to play with the audiences’ expectations, but delivers the outcome they expected all along. There are glimmers of a film that yearns to go darker and deeper, but ultimately it decides to play it safe.
Despite its formulaic storytelling, Gran Turismo is the biggest pleasant surprise of the year thus far. Blomkamp wisely chooses to put character first and the thrills second, delivering an emotionally powerful underdog story with some truly breathtaking racing sequences to boot. This is not only a much needed win for the director, but for the video game genre as well. Simply put, fasten your seatbelts and make sure to keep a box of tissues in the glove compartment.