Based on the ever-popular video game franchise by the same name, this action-packed movie was released in March of 2014. In this DreamWorks Pictures film, the main character has just been released from prison and is set to participate in a car race across the United States to seek revenge on the wealthy man he was framed by. Although his main goal is to beat the clock while traveling across the country, Tobey must also watch his back, as there has been a large bounty placed on his head.
The main character of this film, Tobey, is played by Aaron Paul who is well-known for his role in the hit TV series Breaking Bad. Tobey is an auto mechanic who, along with his partners, fully builds and restores muscle cars to racing condition. On the side, they drag race these vehicles, and because of their success, Tobey eventually partners with a big-shot professional racer named Dino. Unfortunately, these two do not get along, and when an unsanctioned race leaves one of Tobey’s friends dead, Dino frames him for manslaughter. This accusation lands Tobey a 2-year prison sentence.
Once he is out of the joint, one of the things Tobey desires to do is to beat Dino to get the revenge he so badly seeks, and Tobey has the opportunity to do so in a cross-country race. After being loaned a car from a previous customer of his, he takes off on this journey. Unfortunately, it is not all smooth sailing, so to speak. Along the way, Tobey and his passenger, who is a beautiful woman and the owner of the car, run into trouble with the police and other drivers and even encounter issues with the route itself.
For those that admire cars, “Need for Speed” is a dream. The flick is full of carefully designed cars that appeal to those that admire modern vehicles and those that enjoy the classics. Scenes in which the cars weave through traffic and perform to their highest ability are both exciting and fun to watch. However, no racing movie is complete without crash scenes, and “Need for Speed” is chock-full of them. Some of these crashes are minor, while others leave viewers on the edge of their seat wondering if the drivers are okay.
Even movie goers that are not viewing the movie for the cars enjoy the fact that “Need for Speed” is an action-lovers dream. The film includes high-speed police chases, spinouts, jumps of many kinds and enough flying car parts, fire and death to keep things interesting. Additionally, the conflicts between the characters add drama and depth to the film and make the action scenes even more meaningful, in that viewers are likely to have a clear opinion about who they want to come out on top.
Aaron Paul does a fantastic job portraying the role of Tobey. He is a very intense, almost tormented, actor that always seem to have a look of determination about him; this is ideal when playing the part of someone on the hunt for revenge. Another notable actor, Michael Keaton, stars in this film as the sponsor of this cross-country race. His many years of acting experience have given him the chops needed to pull off the crazed character of Monarch. The other actors in “Need for Speed” are not as well known, but their ability to convey the appropriate emotions both verbally and nonverbally throughout the film adds to the overall viewability.
As the plot progresses, and as the race goes on, many viewers are likely to pick a favorite car to win, just as in the video game – and it is not always Tobey’s. The plot line is slightly predictable at times, but this does not take away from the overall enjoyment of the film, as there is plenty of action and drama to make the scenes interesting and leave viewers wondering what happens next. The stunt drivers who filmed the race scenes, as well as the crashes, did a fantastic job making the scenes exciting and realistic.
