Need for Speed : Movie Review


"Racing is an art," philosophizes Monarch (Michael Keaton), the renegade host of an underground supercar competition. Maybe it is—on a controlled track, involving actual professionals. When said racing takes place illegally on winding public roads populated by unsuspecting pedestrians, however, it is moronic and despicably irresponsible. A flashy film adaptation of the long-running Electronic Arts video game series, "Need for Speed" is exceptionally shot by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut (2009's "Terminator Salvation"), he and stuntman-turned-director Scott Waugh (2012's "Act of Valor") demonstrating a vibrant, color-soaked eye for capturing its every location (from a New York drive-in and the glistening nighttime streets of San Francisco straight down to a small-town gas station) as if it's the most lovely sight in all the world. The centerpiece chases, too, rumble and vibrate with energetic aplomb, the reliance on hand-held camerawork and ADD-inspired editing so often found in action set-pieces of this nature kept refreshingly at bay. What becomes increasingly difficult to overlook are the expansive leaps in logic and near-nonstop barrage of icky character behavior found in first-time writer George Gatins' script and he and brother John's story. These nagging issues ultimately compromise the fun of simply watching hot cars zoom down the road against alluring American backdrops.

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Author : Dustin Putman