Movie Review Gran Turismo

Gran Turismo (2023) 

Directed by Neil Blomkamp 

Written by Jason Hall, Zach Baylin 

Starring Archie Medekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou, Geri Halliwell 

Release Date August 25th, 2023 

Published August 22nd, 2023 

There is nothing particularly wrong with Gran Turismo. It's an occasionally rousing, occasionally emotional, sports movie. It's well acted, it's shot well, the special effects are terrific. So why don't I care about this based on a true story melodrama? It's odd, I can remember enjoying Gran Turismo while I watched it and now, as I sit to write about it, most of the movie has slipped away. I'm left with this sort of vague admiration for Gran Turismo but not much beyond that. I'm having to check and recheck notes that I made and go back to the film synopsis for help. Am I just getting old or did this movie just leave that little of an overall impression. 

Gran Turismo, according to my notes, stars Archie Medekwe as Gran Turismo videogame star player, Jann Mardenborough. Jann has long dreamed of becoming a race car driver but that particular track of profession, is not available to most people. Though the movie only glances in the direction of any kind of social conscience, it's clear that many drivers have had long time ties to family and corporate racing interests. Trying to independently become a race car driver, especially on the European circuit, is beyond merely a pipedream. 

The closest that Jann can come is spending most of his waking hours playing the game Gran Turismo, a real life hit videogame series. Created by Kazunori Yamauchi, Gran Turismo is a painstaking recreation of what it is like to race on European race tracks. Yamauchi dedicated years to capturing the cars, the tracks, pit crew experience, everything down to the minute pieces of the car, in order to create a racing simulator so lifelike, it feels like the real thing. I've never played Gran Turismo, I don't play many videogames, nothing against them, but I was really impressed by the glimpses of the game we get in this movie. 

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media

Movie Review Creed 3

Creed 3 (2023)

Directed by Michael B. Jordan 

Written by Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin 

Starring Michael B.Jordan. Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson 

Release Date March 3rd, 2023 

Published March 2nd, 2023 

Creed 3 is an exceptional film. The culmination of the Rocky/Creed franchise, directed by star Michael B. Jordan, brings not only the story of Adonis Creed to a close but, indeed, the complete evolution of the Rocky franchise to a place of peaceful self realization. A conversation about masculinity, emotional vulnerability, and the various healthy and unhealthy was that men, specifically, process complicated emotions and long term trauma, reaches a place of genuine catharsis in the story of Adonis Creed and his opponent, Diamond 'Dame' Damian Anderson, played by Jonathan Majors. 

Creed 3 opens with a seeming ending. Adonis Creed is having his final fight. Fighting in the famed arena in South Africa where Muhammad Ali had his greatest triumph, Adonis ends his career as the undisputed World Boxing Champion. Cut to three years later and Adonis seems to find that retirement suits him. He's spending a healthy and loving amount of time with his lovely wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson, and his beautiful daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), lovingly and gracefully adapting to life as a father to a young hearing impaired child. 

Signs of Adonis' healthy transition to life post-boxing are everywhere including in his professional life working as a boxing promoter. Adonis is training the next generation of fighter including the latest Undisputed World Champion, Felix Chavez (Teofimo Lopez), who is about to fight Creed's former foe turned friend, Victor Drago (Florian Munteanu). Naturally, since all is going so well in Creed's life, he's being set up for a major complication. 

Find my full length review of Creed 3 at Geeks.Media