Do we need another movie built around fast cars and reckless drivers? Or for that matter, one based on a video game?
For me, the answer is a resounding “No” to both questions, and that being the case, I went into Scott Waugh’s “Need for Speed” with the mind-set that the film already had two strikes against it.
However, again I was reminded of the perils of prejudging as this proved to be a genuinely exciting, if not overly original piece of high-octane popcorn entertainment, buoyed not only by inventively staged chase sequences but a sympathetic, grounded performance from Aaron Paul, around whom all of this vehicular mayhem ensues.
The actor stars as Tobey Marshall, a grease monkey with a custom car shop of his own, left to him by his father, that’s on the verge of collapse. He loves what he does, as well as the crew he has assembled, but the work that comes in (plus whatever he can pick up winning illegal road races) simply doesn’t pay the bills.
An offer he can’t refuse walks through his door one day in the form of Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper, looking every bit the bad guy), an old rival who has gotten away with Marshall’s girlfriend Anita (Dakota Johnson). He needs a rare Mustang customized to the tune of $250,000, a job the crew jumps at, thus feeding their passion and saving their friend’s business at the same time.
This transaction is not the last bit of business that Marshall and Brewster engage in, as they have a throwdown on the road between themselves and Little Pete (Harrison Gilbertson), Anita’s brother. He ends up dead, thanks to Brewster’s dastardly doings, while Marshall takes the blame and does two years in prison on a manslaughter charge, only to come out looking for a bit of revenge and redemption.
He finds his opportunity in the De Leon, a high-speed road race that takes place on the highways and byways of California, organized by Monarch (Michael Keaton), a mysterious moneyed maniac who lives vicariously through the drivers. Marshall, Brewster and a handful of others duel to near-death in their sleek, road-hugging machines, causing all sorts of glorious-looking wrecks as they race more for pride than the pink slips of the autos they use that are on the line.
To be sure, this is the silliest of premises, but for what it is, there’s no denying that it’s done exceptionally well. Waugh, a former stuntman helming only his second film, (“Act of Valor” was the first) takes an old-school approach that helps distance it from the “Fast and Furious” franchise. All of the racing here was actually executed on the road, as no computer-generated effects were employed. You won’t see the cars doing anything that a car can’t do, and the difference is palpable. Using inventive camera placement and an editing rhythm that adopts a rapid tempo but doesn’t distract us from the action, Waugh fashions an old-fashioned car film using modern cinematic technology that roars off the screen.
Obviously, a movie like this can’t survive on muscle cars alone, and while the revenge plot that’s used is as hoary as a threadbare rug, the cast is committed to it in such a way that we don’t mind knowing right where it’s headed. Paul is as solid as we’ve come to expect him to be from “Breaking Bad,” bringing sympathy to the stereotype he’s saddled with as well as a bit of charm.
His co-star, Imogen Poots as his shotgun co-pilot Julia, is feisty and not just a piece of eye candy. Her quick wit plays well off Paul’s quiet demeanor, and the many scenes they share are so good that we don’t mind that we’re taking a breather from the constant action. Scott Mescudi, Rami Malek and Ramon Rodriguez as Marshall’s crew all get their comedic moment in the spotlight which they take advantage of to great effect. As for Keaton, he’s so manic that you can’t help but think you’re watching a middle-aged Beetlejuice, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Need for Speed” is designed to thrill as well as launch a franchise with Paul at the center. Whether two speed-based series can survive at the box office remains to be seen. However, with the exception of “Fast 5,” “Need for Speed” is superior in almost every way, primarily because of Paul’s ability to anchor the movie and Waugh’s dedication to filming this adventure in a way that does not insult our intelligence yet deliver the thrills audiences demand.
‘Need for Speed’ (3 stars out of 4)
Cast: Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Michael Keaton, Scott Mescudi, Rami Malek, Ramon Rodriguez, Harrison Gilbertson and Dakota Johnson.
Directed by Scott Waugh; produced by John Gatins, Patrick O’Brien and Mark Sourian; screenplay by George Gatins.
A DreamWorks production. 130 minutes. Rated PG-13 (sequences of reckless street racing, disturbing crash scenes, nudity and crude language.)
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