Review | Gran Turismo movie review: PlayStation racing game spawned an amazing true story, but its big-screen retelling is formulaic
- Jann Mardenborough is a gamer who won a competition to become a racing driver through his skills on the PlayStation game Gran Turismo
- Neill Blomkamp’s retelling of this true story goes strictly by the numbers, and the film is not helped by Archje Madakwe’s uncharismatic turn as Mardenborough
2/5 stars
The true story of Jann Mardenborough, the British gamer who parlayed his skills into a real-life racing career, is given the big-screen treatment in Gran Turismo, from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp.
Archie Madakwe plays Mardenborough, who secured a spot on Team Nissan after claiming pole position in a contest organised by the creators of the celebrated simulator game.
Orlando Bloom plays Nissan marketing exec Danny Moore, who dreamed up the competition, while David Harbour effortlessly excels as sceptical trainer Jack Salter, tasked with licking Mardenborough and his fellow gamers into shape so that they aren’t driven – or laughed – off the track.
Gran Turismo the game, first released in 1997, remains PlayStation’s biggest-selling title. Created by Kazunori Yamauchi, it has garnered widespread acclaim for its meticulous in-game recreations of the world’s most famous race tracks as well as the cars themselves.
Because of this attention to detail, it has proved possible for gamers such as Jann to gain a familiarity and understanding for the circuits and vehicles that they have successfully applied to the dangerous world of motorsports.