Neill Blomkamp struggles with the true to life tale of Jann Mardenborough in Gran Turismo, an action/video game hybrid of a film without much soul.
The concept of a gamer who turns into a race car driver makes for an interesting story, particularly with a character like Jann (Archie Madekwe), a PlayStation fanatic from Cardiff who knows the ins and outs of playing Gran Turismo on the console. Despite protests from his parents (Djimon Hounsou and Geri Halliwell-Horner), he ends up in the GT Academy competition formed by Danny (Orlando Bloom) for Nissan to find the next big driver from a bunch of gaming players. With trainer Jack (David Harbour), they try to mentor Jann and the others to eventually take the track as serious racers.
Aside from this premise, the film sadly falls into the cliches of sports movies, with the added flair of combining the visuals of playing the video game with the act of being in a real car itself. This combination of the two visuals makes for an interesting feat and is the most enjoyable part of the film. Aside from that the film appears rife with advertising moments and typical platitudes.
More than anything this is a star vehicle for Madekwe, who gives a personal touch that the story needs. His performance is emotive and is the perfect hero to fall into the story with. If Gran Turismo fails on other fronts, its lead makes it worth watching.
Eden Caceda 