Video game adaptations are on a hot streak, and that luck will hopefully extend to Gran Turismo. Based on the popular PlayStation exclusive, a gamer’s skills are put to the test when they get a chance to become a professional race car driver. The film is based on Jann Mardenborough, a huge GT fan who become one of the best professional race car drivers in the sport’s history.
Oscar nominee Neill Blomkamp directs the film. The latest video game adaptation has a solid cast that includes Orlando Bloom, David Harbour, and Djimon Hounsou. Gran Turismo is scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on August 11, 2023. Hollywood’s latest foray looks promising enough. Here are the five best moments of Sony’s Gran Turismo trailer.
Look Around, It’s Not Our World Son
The approach to the Gran Turismo video game is certainly interesting. The games themselves don’t particularly have a ready-made story like The Last of Us. So the writers needed to come up with something original. However, documenting the beginnings of a real-life driver is certainly a risky move. Nevertheless, putting a face to the franchise helps gives the story a necessary focus that appears relatively simple enough.
Archie Madekwe is a relative newcomer and comes across as a solid presence in the trailer. It will be interesting to see what made Mardenborough go into professional racing himself. The scene with his father adds an important personal element that this film needs. Without strong characters and a decent story, Gran Turismo would’ve easily fallen flat on its face. This moment signifies his wants and desires and the overall heart of the upcoming video game adaptation.
The Introduction Of The Gran Turismo Academy
In 2008, Polyphony Digital teamed up with Sony and Nissan to create GT Academy. It’s a competition within the racing games that gives winners a chance to become real drivers. It’s an interesting concept, as the two worlds are vastly different. But Kazunori Yamauchi wanted to bridge the gap, and given Jann’s success thus far, the Academy has done wonders for the lives of these gamers.
To dive in and explore the purpose of the Academy (beyond the obvious, of course) could be an interesting nugget to the Gran Turismo film. The spirit of the movie seems pretty light thus far, but the inclusion of David Harbour guarantees a good time. More importantly, this could be an interesting character study on gamers and the correlation between fiction and reality.
There’s No Turning Back Now
Though a set of strong characters and a compelling story arc is vital, what most fans want to see is the racing. Gran Turismo is one of the more tamed racing franchises. The series emulates real-life racing, unlike brands such as Need for Speed or Burnout. Still, video games provide a high level of entertainment, and based on the footage shown here, the racing portion of the film looks pretty good.
There are elements of Ford v. Ferrari in this trailer. Though both films are different, the love and respect they show for racing and cars, in general, is a huge benefit to the story. The Fast and Furious saga’s cartoonish exploits have diminished the threat of death because everyone in those films is essentially a superhero. Gran Turismo makes the world feel grounded and realistic, ramping up the tension during these pivotal scenes and making death a scary consequence once again.
The Action Set Pieces In The Gran Turismo Trailer Look Awesome
The biggest plus for Gran Turismo is that it has practical effects. That’s an underrated element because, too many times, films of this nature are ruined by graining and terrible digital effects. Going this route helps keep audiences invested in the races, and the crash and other big moments look better.
The Balance Between The Virtual and Reality Worlds Is Pretty Cool
The trailer has showcased the rise of Jann Mardenborough as he proves to be the best within the GT Academy. However, the stark comparison between the game and actual racing takes shape at the tail end of the trailer. It’s an interesting look at how the video game itself helped the racer become a great driver. The integration of the game and motorsports comes full circle, and it’s a cool scene to revisit the newcomer replaying the events in his mind to help aid him in a big championship event.
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