A game adaptation worth making? A look at the first press reviews of the racing action hardly gives cause for hope
On August 10, 2023, Gran Turismo rolls into the starting lineup in theaters. The film is directed by Neill Blomkamp, best known for the fantastic sci-fi film District 9. In front of the camera are David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Widow) and Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean), among others.
Game adaptations still enjoy a rather bad reputation today and Gran Turismo will probably not change that. The first press reports paint a mixed picture. On (Rotten Tomatoes) the film currently comes to just 58 percent, which is based on 43 reviews.
What is praised? What is criticized?
We’ve sifted through the reviews for you and looked at which aspects of the film still garner praise and which, on the other hand, fail completely. We have also picked out particularly crisp quotes for you.
Good racing action with fidelity to the game template: One thing that quickly becomes clear among the positive voices. On the track, Gran Turismo doesn’t even seem to do that much wrong. The racing scenes are great staged and fun to watch.
So writes Cameron Frew of (Dexerto):
Gran Turismo is the new Days of Thunder: fast-paced action, bland writing, and still a winner. Ka-chow.
Also blowing the same horn is Owen Gleiberman of (Variety):
He [the film] has a spontaneous humanistic grace, and the racing sequences, which dominate the film because they are the real story it tells, are stunningly directed and edited.
Flat plot, weak characters, advertising for the game: That about sums up the negative side of the press reviews. Those who expect depth here seem to be disappointed. In addition, according to some critics, the film is so soulless that it looks like an expensive feature-length advertisement.
Nick Schager of (The Daily Beast) expressed:
Apart from the great racing sequences, the film is so clichéd and unimaginative that it makes the source material seem profound by comparison.
Alistair Ryder of (Looper.com) Blows the horn on the advertising accusations:
An embarrassing low point in a year already notorious for the number of barely concealed commercials that have landed on our screens.
At the end of the day, only one thing will help: you’ll have to make up your own mind. If you go to the cinema on August 10 and watch the film yourself, then you can leave us your opinion here in the comments: Was the film really so mediocre or did you feel very well entertained? We are already curious what you have to tell!
