Why Need for Speed Crashed and Burned

Need for Speed Review

Need for Speed was directed by Scott Waugh, Waugh got to use Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Rami Malek and Michael Keaton. Waugh who didn’t do anything in the last 9 years was rusty at best. The film had no director’s signature or any direction for that matter. The cast doesn’t get out from it clean either, Aaron Paul was a big shot in Breaking Bed but this Vin Diesel part was way over his head. Imogen Poots had a few funny segments but nothing more than that. Michael Keaton was in this film as well unfortunately until this point I fail to understand what was his purpose in it? Or why did he agree to appear in it.

Before watching this film as a former gamer who used to burn way too many hours playing the older versions of the Need for Speed game, I was wondering how this film can really work? I came to the conclusion that flashy cars, police chases and street races are a must that the film makers automatically bring to the film. But all those elements won't make the film remember able or any good. The Need for Speed games never had a lead character that the gamers connected to. So the film makers had a lot of maneuvering in character and the films plot. There was nothing holding back Need for Speed in a sense of the plot and its lead characters. The question was what direction EA and DreamWorks will go for making the film a success and a contra to the successful franchise like the Fast and the Furious.

Need for Speed Game

The film follows a local a local nobody Tobey, who is apparently a great driver but instead of doing something with his talent he is busy trying to keep his car garage open another day. When Tobey Marshall's biggest nemesis Dino Brewster shows up for an underground race, where Tobey came to show what he got. Dino Brewster offered him an olive branch by hiring Tobey and his team to construct a cool new Dodge. As the historical friction between both men started surfacing things start to heat up and escalate to the stage where one of Tobey's best friends gets killed in a car accident from a stunt that Dino Brewster pulled. Our tragic hero goes to prison and in 1 second two years fly like it was nothing. Tobey filled with rage, is released from prison and determined to hurt Brewster  in the biggest underground race of the year The DeLeon.

The beginning of the film looked decent, the introduction Aaron Paul's character looked OK, the underground race was pretty cool unfortunately there were two elements from the get go that looked strange. 
The first was Little Pete's sister who showed up for the race with Brewster. It seemed that she and Tobey were "close" in the past and you would think that Scott Waugh would explore that angle and let the audience in on the history of those two. Unfortunately that never happened and after finishing the film I was wondering what was that tease for? Or why was her character in the film? If nothing was done with their history.
The 2nd thing that looked strange was when Tobey's team got the Dodge that they had to twik. One moment they had the car in the garage and a moment later the car is fixed and presented in an exhibition. This looked so strange because car movies live for those Dodge moments showcasing how the guys work on the car, bond and put all the cool and flashy stuff into it. We had none of that in Need for Speed. It just seemed like a missed opportunity.

Video: Need for Speed Trailer Aaron Paul in Need for Speed

The movie was watchable just until Tobey got out from prison, ever since he became America's most wanted Traffic offender the film started going to hell. It just seemed illogical. Why would a guy who just got out of prison risk everything to get into the DeLeon race when he knows that he is going back to jail for all the stuff he will make on the road. All of it for a revenge, and in a race, a race he doesn’t even has an invite for. There were just too many variables in the film that were silly. But it’s not only Aaron Paul's character that did stupid stuff, Benny (Scott Mescudi) did the same thing stealing all kinds of planes, in the end seeing him hijack a military chopper was beyond stupidity. What kind of a person will do that (stuff like that will earn him a lot of time inside)? Finn was not extreme with his strip move because it was somehow explained and seemed acceptable because as stupid of an excuse he had some people really think like that about their desk jobs. 

In the beginning of the ride towards The DeLeon the interaction between Tobey and Julia Maddon was entertaining but towards its end Julia started to act cartoonish. But when she got out of commission it was unbearable. The race itself had only 6 candidates with great cars but it was unwatchable. Aaron Paul is not quite there yet being a true action star (or whatever he was supposed to be in Need for Speed), talking with a tough voice doesn’t make you tough. It makes the hero of the film look childish. Dominic Cooper is not a top villain material as well. The blame is on the casting of course but who ever decided to give this film to Scott Waugh made the biggest mistake of them all. Its 132 minutes were painful and its PG-13 rating didn’t hurt the film as it usually does (I guess it was pretty bad regardless the rating). Need for Speed is not a good film actually it’s a very bad film, DreamWorks really messed up with this one. They were lucky that The Fast and the Furious was postponed because otherwise this would be a bloodbath.

Written by: Sasha Shapiro

Need for Speed

Rating: 1.5 / 5 stars

Need For Speed DVD & Game from Amazon

Need for Speed [Blu-ray]

 

photo credit: SobControllers via photopin cc

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About Sasha Shapiro

Sasha is the founder and editor of Cool Reviews Rule. He is very passionate about Movies, TV Shows and some Books. His favorite genres are: Action, Fantasy, History, Horror, Sci-fi and Adventure.
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