[Review] Need For Speed (2014)

“I do not fear, for you are with me. All those who defied me, shall be ashamed and disgraced. Those who wage war against me, shall perish. I will find strength, find guidance, and I will triumph.” (Tobey Marshall)

actors: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Dakota Johnson, Imogen Poots, Michael Keaton
director: Scott Waugh
Edge and Back: 6/10

“Need for Speed” comes as a contender for the “Fast and Furious” franchise but doesn’t quite make an impact and leaves you with a wanting more mood after the credits show up. Why? Take the script, the casting and the general plot of Waugh’s movie.

You do get fast cars. Expensive cars, the type of cars one dreams and the actors have fun driving but that’s all there is to this new franchise and the chances for a sequel are slim at this point.

What do we have here? Tobey (Aaron Paul) who is caught in the schemes of his business partner, Dino (Domenic Cooper) and ends up doing time in the joint. That’s how you built the motivation for the leading man and work up the details up until the very last moments of the movie when you wait for the big finale. The plot and twist would have worked, yes, they’re as cliche as they can be but could have been given justice with a decent script and some solid casting.

Aaron Paul had the charisma from his work on “Breaking Bad” and tries as much as possible to make Tobey sweet, interesting, bad-ass and his motivation solid. We notice he tries his best but his best falls into the murky waters of a poor told tale. And then comes Dominic Cooper. The British actor has had some good roles so far from “The Duchess” to shining as Howard Stark in “Captain America: The First Avenger” to a very well rounded performance as Ian Fleming in the BBC America’s take on the man who wrote about “The Spy”. It was a  good chance for Cooper to play a villain and he had all the qualities to do Dino justice but unfortunately for the actor it wasn’t his fault Dino’s fate literally fails to impress, it’s again the work of the script. The mother of all problems is what George Gatins wanted with this tale.

At least Imogen Potts has a good role, detaching herself from the damsels in distress and the models brought to show a nice cleavage. Her character is fun, fresh, sassy and you end up liking her which is more than one can say about the hero and the villain.

If “Need for Speed” wants to become a solid franchise and avoid if possible not falling in the category – another rip of from “Fast&Furious” – it needs a plot and work on the characters. Dino can make a comeback but give him layers, make Tobey likeable without turning him into a hero – these movies are the stuff made for anti-heroes glory, look at Dominic Toretto – but the story must impress. The cars did their work, the script failed to impress.