Gran Turismo Movie Review

Video game adaptations have always been a point of contention among fans. Very few have worked, and many of them have been nearly unwatchable. In recent years, we have seen a needed shift, with studios putting more time and effort into these releases and receiving more acclaim than they have before. This year alone, we have seen 4 video game adaptations make their way to the big and small screen, with the likes of the Super Mario Bros movie, which grossed nearly $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office and received mostly favourable reviews, The Last of Us also received an adaptation from HBO, again being a smash both critically and commercially, Five Nights At Freddy’s is also currently playing in theatres, making a dent at the box office with an impressive $253 million at the global box office and counting. Finally, we also saw an adaptation of Sony PlayStation’s popular racing game franchise, Gran Turismo, which currently has an impressive 65% critical score on review website Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive $121.5 million at the worldwide box office.

Gran Turismo follows the unbelievable true story of Jann Mardenborough (played by Archie Madekwe), a teenage Gran Turismo player who became a professional racing car driver. The film utilises its racing game premise to help mould the story and also provide audiences with a recognisable IP, to help sell tickets, but it's true story and grounded in reality premise is what makes the film work as well as it does.

Writer/Director Neil Blomkamp, who previously helmed District 9, Elysium, Chappie and Demonic, adds an expert level of craftsmanship that truly elevates the material, with the talented filmmaking having his signature style on full display in Gran Turismo. He manages to make the action sequences feel balanced, intense and immersive, which is exactly what you want from a film adaptation of one of the most immersive video game franchises out there. The real highlight of the film here is the racing sequences, which are truly exhilarating, and I can’t help but feel with a lesser filmmaker at the helm, the film wouldn’t have been as entertaining or at the very least, the action wouldn’t have been as impressive as it was with Blomkamp at the helm.

The other strengths lie in the film's talented cast. Young and relative newcomer Archie Madekwe does a lot of heavy lifting here, acting against some of Hollywood’s best performers. He brings a youthful and inexperienced quality to his character, which is reflective of the real-life Jann Mardenborough. The cast surrounding him are also fantastic, with the likes of David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Takehiro Hira and Djimon Housou rounding out the supporting cast. David Harbour continues his hot streak (Stranger Things, We Have a Ghost, Violent Night, Black Widow) in Gran Turismo as Jack Salter, a fictional character, not based on a real-life person, but an important character in the overall story. He serves as the film’s motivation, he is the Mickey to Rocky, the Mr Miyagi to Daniel LaRusso, the Tony Stark/Iron Man to Peter Parker/Spider-Man. His relationship with Jann was the part of the film I found to be the most touching, emotionally resonant, and all-round entertaining.

Gran Turismo was a delightful surprise. When the film was announced, I won’t lie, I wasn’t overly excited, I didn’t know how a Gran Turismo film would look, but I was pleasantly surprised. The film's action was exhilarating, the characters were likeable with a surprising amount of depth. The cast are all wonderful and have amazing chemistry with one another. This is a must watch for racing fans, video game fans and those just after a feel good, uplifting, sports film. Gran Turismo is now out on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD, so head on over to Sanity to secure your copy today or pick it up for a loved one, as a stocking stuffer this Christmas!

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here