Hollywood has tried to tap into the potential of video games for years- with little success. While most video game adaptations fail to capture the essence of what popularized the game, Dreamworks bucks this trend with “Need for Speed.”
Based on popular EA series of the same name, “Need for Speed” mixes the best qualities of the game: fast cars, intense races and police chases with old school filmmaking that will make fans of the series and movie goers alike racing to the theater.
“Need for Speed” is a super-charged, action-packed revenge story that stars ‘Breaking Bad’ alum Aaron Paul as Tobey Marshall. Marshall, a upstate NY mechanic who moonlights as a street racer, is framed for the murder of one of his closest friends by street racer turned NASCAR pro: Dino Brewster, played by Dominic Cooper. After serving two years in prison, Marshall is out for revenge and looks to clear his name by entering the Indy 500 of street races, the De Leon.
The film swerves around a plot and script, as it never really makes any sense; but like the game it is based on, it’s all about the cars. Who needs a story when you’re going 234 MPH?
At first glance, most will dismiss “Need for Speed” as a “Fast and the Furious” knock-off, but it creates its own lane and offers a different kind of nitrous-fueled fun. Director Scott Waugh’s little use of CGI allows you to forget the ridiculous plot and focus on the well-choreographed stunts and insane action. This no CGI approach makes you feel the impact of every crash and puts you in the seat of Marshall’s supped up Mustang- a rare thing in today’s green-screen Hollywood action scene. Waugh is able to echo great car films like “Bullitt” and “Smokey and the Bandit,” while bringing to all the craziness to life.
Paul proves he is ready to be one of Hollywood’s favorite leading men with his portrayal of Marshall. Paul does donuts around every actor he shares the screen with in the film, often elevating the material with his performance. The performance submerses you into Marshall’s story and no matter how ridiculous, you are cheering rooting for Marshall to get his revenge and clear his name.
Paul’s supporting cast, on the other hand, are about as disposable as the countless cars totaled in the movie. They offer no real substance to the film. Marshall’s crew that includes rapper Scott Mescudi’s Benny, who has a penchant for things that fly, just act as comedic relief.
The one standout from the supporting cast is Michael Keaton, who plays Monarch, the man behind the De Leon. Keaton does what he does best, chew up scenery. He does not share any scenes with any of the other actors, but delivers his monologues with so much charisma it is hard to take your eyes off him whenever he is on-screen.
All in all, ‘Need for Speed’ may be the first video game adaptation Hollywood got right. Never trying to make “Need for Speed” something it never was, the filmmakers are able to craft a great companion piece for the game while successfully achieving mass appeal for audiences. With a great performances from Paul and the always great Keaton, “Need for Speed” signals a change in the quality of video game movies.
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