Gran Turismo (2023) Review

I have an interest in all sport and that includes motor sport as that is a big thing going on in my household. So when Gran Turismo was announced to be made into a film, I knew I was going to be watching it. Yesterday, I watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a young man who is one of the greatest Gran Turismo players in the world given the chance to become a professional race car driver. 

Main Character

Archie Madekwe plays the real life person of Jann Mardenborough and he is okay in this film. He is a pretty easy person to relate to and want to see succeed. The whole premise of this persons life is insane and I think Archie managed to convey that and he had some really good scenes with some of the stronger actors. But I also think there were a few missed opportunities, where he is meant to take charge and it doesn't quite work, he mumbles and you can tell he hasn't quite nailed it yet as a leading man. I think this is a good step for him and hopefully we can see more of him in the future. 

Supporting Characters

There is an experienced but small supporting cast. Dave Harbour plays Jack Salter, the chief engineer of the team and he is truly fantastic in this role, you can tell he is super passionate about this film and this role and he delivers a memorable performance and one that shows his strength as an actor. 

Orlando Bloom hasn't done much the last few years but he is good here playing Danny Moore who is the marketing and head of the programme. He is charismatic and also looks like he is having a great time, he doesn't have as much depth as some of the other characters but he is just a fun addition of the film. 

Djimon Hounsou plays Jann's father and he is great in his smaller role. There is a clear conflict between the two of them in terms of Jann's aspirations and dreams. But Hounsou delivers some strong scenes and even though he isn't in the film a lot he is pretty memorable. 

Story

The story is pretty crazy and the fact that the majority is true is even crazier. Don't let the title of the film trick you, this is not a video game movie. It has a strong story that sees this young man look to get his dream, it is a pretty simple underdog story but it is done well enough for sure. They squeeze his rise into this one film and I am sure there is more to the plot but I appreciated how the story was told. But I felt like everything not involving the racing was a bit dull, for example there is a romance which is really underdeveloped and the two characters barely share scenes together so it made me wonder why I should care. 

Script

The script is a bit of a mixed bag. This film takes itself very seriously and for the most part it is done effectively, you care about the people and the situations they are in. The humour is chuckle worthy and it doesn't overstep and the balance is well down. There are just parts of the film that aren't written as well and that I didn't care about as much. 

Style

The film looks great, all the driving scenes are well filmed and make it feel like you are in the car with the characters. It incorporated the video game aspects well that it didn't overbear the film and allowed the focus to be on the actual driving. The film was paced pretty well too, keeping me interested for the majority of the film. 

Overall

Overall, Gran Turismo is a good film. It doesn't matter if you have ever played the video game or even are a fan of the sport, I think this could be a film you enjoy and should give a chance. 

Rating - 7/10