Gran Turismo (2023)

Gran Turismo (2023)

 

7/10

Starring

David Harbour

Orlando Bloom

Archie Madekwe

Darren Barnet

 

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

 

Gran Turismo is a fun racing game, and the idea of making a movie based on someone’s real-life experiences with the game is epic. This film is a biographical sports drama about the life of Jann Mardenborough. For me, the game was one of the first games I owned on the Sony PS1, so it has a place in my heart.

The movie is intense and does its best to sidestep the usual dramatic cheesiness of Hollywood films. One standout moment is when CGI is used to depict the character imagining himself in a game car, driving recklessly this visual is worth seeing. The fact that these events happened to someone in real life makes it even more fascinating to watch.

The question is, will you, regardless of how good you are in a racing game, want to turn it into reality? This question kept running through my mind as I watched, and it made me respect the character even more for believing he could accomplish this.

The acting is excellent, and the movie’s adrenaline-pumping moments are consistently engaging. I didn’t even notice that the film was over an hour long it flew by.

I also enjoyed learning about the inspiration behind the game and how Nissan came up with the idea to take the highest-scoring players and turn them into real-life race car drivers. The movie begins by exploring the creation of the game, designed to make players feel like they’re on a real racetrack. We then meet Danny (Orlando Bloom’s character), a marketing executive who pitches the idea to Nissan’s board to recruit top players and train them to become professional drivers. Danny hires a former driver-turned-mechanic to help prepare these gamers, selecting the best of the top ten racers worldwide.

Jann is ultimately chosen to transition from SIM racer to real-life driver. The film doesn’t shy away from depicting the challenges he faced during this transformation, including the pain and hardships involved. And, of course, no good movie is complete without a rivalry, so this one includes its own villain to add tension.

In the end, Gran Turismo delivers an exciting and satisfying cinema experience. Although I don’t know much about racing, regardless of how much I played the game this movie drew me in and inspired me to read more about the sport and watch clips I’d only seen in advertisements.

If you’re considering going to the cinema, this movie is an easy recommendation. It’s well worth your time.

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

 The Equalizer 3 (2023)

 

6/10

 

Starring

Denzel Washington

Dakota Fanning

David Denman

 

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

 

Contains Spoilers

I’m not sure if this is what we need right now, as Hollywood has drained all the creativity out of making hits. I wasn’t even excited to see this film, and judging by its Box Office numbers, I’m not the only one who feels the film industry is struggling to produce movies we actually want to watch.

This film isn’t as good as the first, and like the second, it serves no real purpose, just another attempt by the studio to squeeze more money out of us, the viewers. The more movies they make, the more they dilute the effect of the first film.

Robert (Denzel Washington) finds himself in an impossible situation. He allows himself to be captured by guards at a Sicilian winery, only to break free and kill everyone. This was entirely predictable, so the movie needed twists and turns to stand out, but it didn’t deliver. It felt like they just wanted to wrap up the trilogy without putting in the effort.

In one scene, Robert is held at gunpoint, waiting for the boss, Lorenzo, to show up. This was exactly what Robert wanted, as he kills everyone at the winery, retrieves the money he came for, gets shot, and narrowly survives thanks to a kind officer who takes him to a local doctor.

As Robert slowly recovers in the town, he tips off the CIA about illegal dealings at the Sicilian winery. Meanwhile, the criminal family running the town begins pressuring local store and landowners to gain control of the area. The officer who helped Robert discovers footage of the culprits, and as a result, he and his family are attacked.

Robert steps in and warns the criminals to leave the town alone, but when they refuse, he kills them all. This sparks a conflict that nearly costs him his life, until the townspeople come to his rescue.

The pacing of the film is problematic. It drags on for far too long before anything significant happens, and the abrupt ending makes the entire build up feel pointless.

Just as Chloë Grace Moretz felt like a bystander in the first film, Dakota Fanning’s character serves a similarly insignificant role here.

If you want to complete The Equalizer trilogy, you can watch this movie, but neither this film nor the one before it measures up to the original. That said, both are still better than the disappointing TV series which stars Queen Latifah.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Blue Beetle (2023)

 

5/10

Starring

Xolo Maridueña

Adriana Barraza

Damián Alcázar

Raoul Max Trujillo

 

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto

 

 

I enjoyed this film enough to say it’s not the worst superhero movie I’ve seen, that said, while it tries to stand out at times, it’s held back by its refusal to embrace a darker tone. This limitation prevents it from reaching its full potential.

The film also falls into familiar clichés, such as the hero losing control when their family is threatened, only to be stopped at the last second to preserve their moral integrity. If the cheesiness and predictability were removed, the film wouldn’t be half bad.

This is the fourteenth installment in the DC universe and centers on the comic book character Blue Beetle, also known as Jaime Reyes. The film explores how Jaime discovers the Scarab, bonds with it, and learns to control its powers.

Jaime, a recent law graduate, returns home to find his family on the brink of losing their house while his father struggles with a heart condition. Desperate for work, he takes a cleaning job at the mansion of Victoria Kord, a woman obsessed with exploiting the Scarab her late brother, Ted Kord, left behind.

Victoria’s niece, Jenny, discovers her aunt’s plans and tries to stop her. She steals the Scarab and, to avoid getting caught, gives it to Jaime. The two had met earlier when Jaime defended her against Victoria and was fired for it. At home, Jaime succumbs to family pressure to open the box, and the Scarab bonds with him.

Victoria, eager to harness the Scarab’s power, sends her forces after Jaime. Although the film isn’t a box-office hit, I wouldn’t attribute this to the SAG-AFTRA strike. DC films rarely achieve major success, and while this movie follows that trend, it’s better than some of its predecessors.

Watching this film wasn’t a bad experience, but it could have been improved by eliminating the cheesy tropes and predictability.

Now that the DCEU has come to a close and James Gunn has taken the reins, there is hope that the upcoming DC movies will adopt a structure similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I am eager to see engaging, well-crafted plots and meaningful character development that extends beyond a single film, so there will be a cohesive and immersive universe.

A key expectation for me is the possible new Justice League of DC hero’s ensemble. I hope when Gunn does his, it will be as good as MCU’s The Avengers. If done right, this new era of DC films could finally rival the MCU’s success by delivering memorable cinematic experiences that captivate audiences worldwide.