NEED FOR SPEED

This review (like all opinions), written by a fan of Aaron Paul and one who grew up enjoying the video game series, is a bit of subjective-bias mixed with objectivity."Need for Speed," was a pleasant surprise. Like others have said, the collaborative efforts of the folks involved in this film paid off. The race scenes, car chases, and stunts are incredibly well done. Having its genesis in a long-standing video game series, the action is in "Need for Speed," is as "real-life" as it can get. The movie achieves beautiful cinematography and solid acting. I am impressed with the direction that this film took. It is what it is--an action-packed, high-speed, adrenaline-rush race car movie--but it is so much more. The team that created this film did a great job of staying true to the video game and true to common realities that people deal with in everyday life--but keep in mind it's meant to be dramatized--it's a narrative story told through film.Without spoiling the movie, the plot-line is well constructed (although some might see parts of it as cliche) and has an uncommon depth that most movies spun from video games do not attain. Aaron Paul's screen presence, though subtle, is quietly commanding. The plot along with Paul's spirit and character as an actor (along with cast and crew) bring this movie to life and keep it from becoming "just another race car movie." The supporting cast is excellent. The combined depth of the characters is impressive. In "Need for Speed," one will experience action, drama, tragedy, comedy, and inspiration. The characters embody what it is to be human, and the rise and fall of the plot line is successful largely because of the parts that they play in it. The story is inspirational and retains a sense of good image-bearing that many action films do not. Viewed in proper context, this is a thoroughly excellent and well done movie (In other words, this isn't "Schindler's List" or "Titanic," but its not meant to be. It is; however, a great story with creative, well-done action scenes and elements of the ups and downs of real life that make it rise above the rest).A wholesome, creative combination of action, drama, and comedy. Excellent cinematography. One gets more than is expected out of this quietly, well-done piece of film-making and story telling. Seriously impressed. ("Haters gonna hate," but this one is worth watching).

This review is for all you folks that have an appreciation for car chase films that were made in the pre-CGI era:Thunder RoadBullittGone in 60 Seconds (original)Vanishing PointDirty Mary Crazy LarryThe French ConnectionThe Gumball RallyThe DriverWhen Steven Spielberg was getting ready to film the dinosaur movie Jurassic Park, he was planning to use models of the dinosaurs and stop action techniques for much of the film. An underling in the tech department (who went by the nickname "Spaz," IIRC), on his own initiative, created a 10 second CGI clip of a T-Rex in action, and when Spielberg saw it he was blown away. All plans for using models were immediately scrapped.Ever since that moment in movie history, action movies have relied more and more on computer-generated imaging, and less on doing actual stunts and capturing them on film. Sometimes this works pretty well, and sometimes it's embarrassingly awful, but a knowledgeable viewer can almost always tell when something has actually been performed and captured on film, or when it's been created with a mouse and keyboard.Here's the description for NEED FOR SPEED: "Fresh from prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy business associate joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins."NFS is based on a video game of the same name. It has an immensely long credits section, listing dozens of people and entities with "computer" in their job descriptions for their work on this film.Given these facts, any fool could predict going in that NFS would be a "me too" CGI effort to cash in on the Fast & Furious franchise.WRONG.I'll say right now that in this gearhead's opinion, NFS, made in 2014, is the most pulse-pounding, most relentless, and BEST live-action car chase movie EVER filmed as of this date, August 2019.There is MINIMAL use of CGI in this film--I'd say less than 5% of the action sequences. The rest is "Holy ****, they actually DID that!" stuff that would make the late Bill Hickman stand up and salute.This can be attributed to two things: Director Scott Waugh's vision, and a person he hired whose name is conspicuously absent from the lengthy credits section, Fran Hall. Fran is the owner of (and driving force behind) Race Car Replicas and Superlite Cars in Fraser, Michigan.The movie features ultra-high-end supercars, costing upwards of $2 million each, racing (and crashing) on public roads. They needed cars that looked like the real thing, but weren't as expensive. Fran was called in to build functional duplicates of the exotic cars used in the film.When he learned of the director's vision to use as little CGI as possible, Fran started showing him how almost every one of the stunts could be done live by using the proper equipment. For example, Fran built a camera car that had the front end of a Bugatti Veyron, with a perch for the cameraman 5 feet above where the car's roof would be. When you see drone's-eye-views of the Bugatti jockeying for position at speed with another car, those are real drivers in real cars on real roads at real triple digit speeds, with a cameraman sitting 8 feet in the air atop the overtaking vehicle, getting it all on film.I believe Fran built a total of 14 replica and camera cars for the film. Most were crashed at one point or another, some multiple times.There's a scene where the lead actor returns to the spot where his friend has just been run off the road and flipped. He slides his car sideways right up to the camera, which captures the concern on his face as he jumps out of the car and races on foot to where his friend has just been killed.Filming this scene, actor Aaron Paul kept sliding the car to a stop 15 feet short of his mark, as he didn't want to hit the director. The director told him to hit the camera on the next take. He tied a rope around his own waist and instructed the crew to yank him back when the car hit the camera. Paul slid the car to within several inches of the camera without hitting it on the next attempt. They got the scene, and it's stunning.As car chase movies go, it doesn't get any better than NEED FOR SPEED.

awesome movie

Sure I may be a bit late finding out about this movie but I'm a booknerd so that's my excuse. I grew up playing the "Need For Speed" games and I'm saying this now my review, my opinions but the Fast and Furious don't compare. After the first one, it's time to stop with them. Classic overkill to make bank.Now about NEED FOR SPEED, the friendships on screen are incredible, believable and these actors sold the movie. I laughed and enjoyed seeing the scenes in which made the games popular. You'll remember the roads and scenic backgrounds. Not to mention, these cars were so beautiful and stunts were impressive as heck.So I was 5 years late to find this movie but I really loved the 2+hours I got to remember why I was obsessed with the games growing up.

I’m gonna say this was a good movie however I was probably stoned when I watched it so I couldn’t give you the best review.

Great movie, not sure why it didn’t get a sequel.

Arrived when expected, work well with no skipping, etc. Reasonable price.