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Gran Turismo's first reviews land as Rotten Tomatoes score is revealed
The first official reviews are in for Gran Turismo, with the movie landing a very mixed Rotten Tomatoes score.
The new PlayStation game adaptation follows the story of teenager Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), who turns from a brilliant gamer into a real-life racing car driver.
Hailing from District 9's Neill Blomkamp, the movie initially earned rave first reactions, though critics' assessments are more of a mixed bag, with praise going towards the movie's action – though others have suggested it acts more as product placement.
Related: Gran Turismo's Archie Madekwe couldn't believe it was a real-life story
As such, Gran Turismo currently stands at 58% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's what reviewers have been saying:
Digital Spy
"It's a story tailor-made for Hollywood and it's only a surprise that it's taken this long. It turns Gran Turismo into a rousing underdog sports movie more than a video-game adaptation, although there are plenty of nods to the game. You'll wish for more of the actual true story, but the movie is still an entertaining late-summer blockbuster that'll get the pulse racing."
Deadline
"With plenty of potent auto action, some well-defined characters and welcome fresh components, this is an engaging look at people who overcome their own doubts and perceived shortcomings to help pull off something genuinely unusual. It’s a lively, spunky piece of work with no pretenses and all the more welcome for that."
TheWrap
“Gran Turismo works best because it eschews its video game origins quickly before settling into a standard race car film. It’s unknown how fans of the game will respond to the movie — no one watching the movie in this critic’s theater pointed out any specific game Easter eggs — but on the whole fans of racecar films should be in for a good time."
The Hollywood Reporter
"While subject Jann Mardenborough has an inspiring backstory, the filmmakers don’t manage to wring much tension from a series of fairly predictable plot developments. But video game enthusiasts, including a sizable audience of Gran Turismo devotees and motorsports fans motivated by Sony’s intensive marketing campaign, are unlikely to quibble much with the film’s limited dramatic arc, making an enthusiastic initial turnout a fair bet."
Empire
"Despite some warm performances, it’s very hard to ignore the feeling that this is largely just two hours of product placement."
The Independent
"Neill Blomkamp having previously parcelled up social commentary in accessible, audience-friendly stories such as District 9 and Elysium, the director seems completely defeated by Gran Turismo. It’s a film that might as well have been the marketing department’s power-point presentation."
"The picture could be considered a simulation itself, mimicking the crowd-pleasing rush of a sports drama, but without enough heart or soul in the tank."
The Guardian
"Commerce contaminates the whole endeavour. When Jann gives Jack a heartfelt gift, which company logo is clearly visible on it? (Clue: it isn’t Apple.) And as the teenager progresses through the ranks and the race-tracks, we keep hearing how the original PlayStation product is a driving simulator rather than a mere game. It is a distinction that applies to the movie: this is a simulation of cinema, with scarcely a human fingerprint anywhere on its chassis."
Gran Turismo will be released in cinemas on August 11.
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