Gran Turismo, Sony’s shot on the toy-to-movie pipeline that labored so nicely for Barbie, comes out on the finish of this month. Immediately, evaluations of the film began popping up throughout — it appears some members of the press have already seen it however Jalopnik didn’t. However the bosses need these candy candy overview clicks, and by god I’m right here to do the issues the bosses need so I can hold my job.
I haven’t seen the film, however c’mon — it’s a sports activities biopic. How arduous might it’s to work out the plot factors and tone alone? The film options an actual man, whose story is well-known sufficient in racing circles. It’s a few online game, an idea that has been round for 65 years but nonetheless confounds and confuses Hollywood screenwriters. Simply mash these two tropes collectively, proper? Easy sufficient. Right here’s my overview of what the Gran Turismo film might be like.
Gran Turismo follows the true story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), the gamer-turned-pro driver who did his coaching in Nissan’s GT Academy — a college that goals to transform racing talent in Gran Turismo (the sport) to racing talent in actual life. The academy right here is overseen by Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom), a starry-eyed government with goals of PR glory, and Jack Salter (David Harbour), the gruff racing teacher whose respect Mardenborough ultimately earns.
Equally, Mardenborough is aiming to earn the respect of his dad and mom, performed by Djimon Hounsou and Geri Halliwell Horner. They (most likely) function within the typical biopic sphere of “disapproving household that ultimately comes round when their baby does nicely” — as soon as once more demonstrating that no dream is value pursuing until there’s an opportunity of economic success connected to it.
For Mardenborough, that success comes after his academy commencement. Certain, he’s crushed the opposite gamer dweebs, however how will he stack up in correct competitors? Sadly, his makes an attempt to show himself are lower brief — the notorious Nurburgring crash, which in actuality occurred years after Mardenborough left the Academy, right here serves as his darkest second. That is the purpose within the music biopic when the artist will get actually into medication and alienates their bandmates.
After not viewing Gran Turismo, the core feeling of the film is that it’s… actually simply odd. The online game stylization, the large racing set items, these really feel like pretty normal fare for contemporary CGI-driven blockbusters. However they’re paired with director Niell Blomkamp’s very grounded, down-to-earth type, which appears at odds with a few of the movie’s extra stylized moments. This advantages the crashing scenes, the place impacts really feel visceral and tough, however finally detracts from the online game advertising and marketing environment. (Most likely.)
And, sure, the environment is clearly that of a longform advert. Why does Mardenborough play a PlayStation 5, when that console got here out lengthy after the GT Academy shut down? Why are there so many PlayStation logos in all places? Why am I not-watching this film, once I might simply be enjoying Gran Turismo 7 as an alternative?
Gran Turismo is a film to be seen on a aircraft as soon as your free hour of wifi runs out. Mardenborough’s story is a novel one amongst racers, and the movie even portrays some components of it precisely. A minimum of, I assume it does — I’ll have to attend for the movie’s precise launch to know for certain.