Looking for a non-stop action flick with car races aplenty? Then this movie will satiate your appetite.
The newly released ‘Need for Speed’ centers around protagonist Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) looking for revenge after being convicted of a crime he did not commit.
This action film, directed by former stuntman turned director Scott Waugh, is premised on the highly successful video game series of the same name.
Although running at 130 minutes, the film does not feel drawn-out due to the endless car races in the movie. The movie is rather straightforward, with no twists sandwiched between.
Ten minutes into the movie, numerous muscle cars are put on display for car lovers to admire.
Street racer Tobey gets prepared to join a race with the support of his close friends who also work with him at his repair shop.
The exhilarating race features cars slithering in and out of narrow alleys, even missing a homeless man.
Tobey emerges tops, winning USD5,000. A former ally, Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper) makes a business proposition for Tobey to assemble a Ford Mustang.
Profits from the sale of the car will be divided between Dino and Tobey as well as the latter’s friends. Although his friends were against the idea initially due to the distrust towards Dino, Tobey says the offer is necessary since the business was not doing well.
The car was sold for USD2.7 million after Tobey proved to an interested company that the car could reach the speed of 230 km/h.
Angry that Tobey drove the car without his permission, Dino challenges Tobey to a race where the winner will take more than half the share of the sale of the car.
However, the result of the race leaves Tobey behind bars in the wake of a tragedy.
After being released from prison, he determines to go for a race to extract revenge. What follows is a race against time to get to California from New York for Tobey to participate in a high stakes underground race called the ‘De Leon’.
Character-wise, although Tobey is not your typical hero since he engages in illegal racing throughout the movie, he is considerate even to his enemy, as it unfolds later in the movie.
As Tobey’s companion, Julia Maddon (Imogen Poots) is a highly likeable character. With her eccentric nature, she is both feminine yet aggressive. This is illustrated through her love of high heels and her braveness in tackling dangerous situations.
The movie however lacks a memorable soundtrack, unlike the Fast and Furious franchise with the song ‘Tokyo Drift’ by the Teriyaki Boyz which continues to be used in other race-related movies.
Reckless and sometimes illogical driving, although the races were nothing I have not seen in movies before, but the addition of helicopters to the scenes put more thrill to it.
Heart pumping instances in the movie includes the drivers switching lanes at inopportune moments, driving in the wrong lane, driving over trees and even refueling a car while the car is still moving.
The movie should be lauded for the realistic portrayal of cars being flipped and bursting into flames. The realism might be due to the minimal use or forgoing altogether computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects.
Certified for movie-goers of the age 18 and above, this might be due to the amount of ruthless driving in the movie since sex scenes are absent.
For adrenaline junkies, this movie is worth a shot. Although I do not condone reckless driving in real life, the movie serves as a form of escapism for those who want to feel like race car drivers.
@http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com
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