Gran Turismo (2023)

The Nissan Motor Company is failing to reach a market of buyers that sees the world as a playground, that truly sees the potential of the cars that this company distributes. However, in 1997 a driving simulator was developed that changed the world, creating a community of gamers that know and appreciate car culture. Gran Turismo is the unbelievable true story of Jann Mardeborough (Archie Madekwe), a gamer turned professional racer. Fifteen years after the development of the game, with the help of a Nissan executive, Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom), and a has-been racecar driver, Jack Salter (David Harbour), Jann has the chance to shock the world and prove to them that he’s far more than just a gamer.

I was skeptical when going in to watch Gran Turismo. In my experiences, video games that have been turned into films haven’t always worked out well. This is different, though. It takes the inspiration from a game and tells a true story, one with which viewers are able to connect. Gran Turismo isn’t really a video game movie–but it incorporates graphics and such from the game to appeal to fans of the game and entertain a wide-range of viewers. The issues that typically surround video game films are that fans of the game have a set of expectations, and it’s difficult for others to replicate those expectations, and furthermore, those of us that don’t play those games experience a disconnect. Gran Turismo exists in a gray area where it doesn’t have to live up to the standards of gamers or outsiders, and it gets to exist on its own.

I enjoyed this story, and while it was a bit longer than I believe it needed to be–Gran Turismo delivers in a lot of different ways throughout. The thing that I found to be the most entertaining was the fact that Director Neill Blomkamp uses actual graphics from the video games to bring this film to life. Whether it’s to express Jann’s position in a particular race or to transport viewers into the seat of the Gran Turismo simulator, Blomkamp and his team find ways to incorporate special effects and computer generated images (CGI) in a practical way that never feels out of place and allows the story to become bigger and more immersive.

Madekwe is paired with Bloom and Harbour, two actors that don’t always find themselves in the limelight, but have the ability to lead a film on their own. That creates some pressure for Madekwe, and it forces him under a microscope so that all can analyze him throughout. There are times when Madekwe is brilliant, full of passion and more than capable of driving this film forward on his own. Then there are times when he desperately needs the assistance of everyone and everything around him to bring him to life, to allow him to shine, and to keep the ball rolling. Gran Turismo rests on his shoulders, and he does a good job of carrying himself through the majority of the film. The rest of the cast does a great job of supporting him, so when he falters the film still flourishes.

Again, I wasn’t really sure what to expect when walking into the theater to see Gran Turismo. Was I going to see another failed attempt at turning a video game into a movie? Was I going to get something that appealed to gamers but excluded the rest of the movie-watching population? Or was someone finally going to figure out how to make a video game based film that appealed to all? I think we got the latter; I think we finally got a video game inspired film that appeals to the masses, and through the visuals, the majority of the acting, and high-octane nature of the film, Gran Turismo will entertain and find success.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp.

Written by Jason Hall & Zach Baylin.

Starring Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, etc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10