Gran Turismo

➤Rated PG-13
➤ Theaters

Plenty of kids become adept at racing cars in video games, but that doesn’t mean you would hand them the keys. But what if the game were so complicated and exacting that the gap between fantasy and reality disappeared? Would they be ready to get behind the wheel? That’s the premise of Sony’s new film Gran Turismo.

The movie is based on the true story of race-car driver Jann Mardenborough, who graduated from racing in video games to racing against professionals on the most iconic tracks in the world.

Jann (Archie Madekwe) is a working-class kid from Cardiff, Wales, who spends most of his time playing the race-car simulator Gran Turismo. He spends what money he has on high-end gaming accessories and doesn’t leave his room much. His father (Djimon Hounsou) wants Jann to get realistic about his future and give up this racing nonsense.

But Jann’s fortunes change when marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) comes up with a plan to bring Nissan’s racing team some publicity. He launches GT Academy, bringing together the game’s best players from around the world and giving them a shot at racing real supercars. But motorsport takes physical strength and stamina. To get them ready, Danny enlists the aid of Jack Salter (the always entertaining David Harbour), a cynical trainer who doubts any of these gamers have what it takes.

Jann has to prove not only that he can drive, but also that he can win.

Sony’s overarching goal with this film is to sell more units of its PlayStation console and more copies of the game Gran Turismo 7. We certainly don’t need our young men spending all their free time glued to a screen. Let’s be honest, Jann’s dad isn’t wrong when he tells the boy to get outside and do something productive. Just because things worked out for the real-life Jann doesn’t mean the decision-making process was sound. But despite Gran Turismo feeling like a very expensive commercial for Sony, the movie is actually rather fun.

The movie races through the well-worn tropes of the sports genre. No one believes in the underdog, except maybe the girl who’s not quite a girlfriend. The underdog gets his chance, but doubts and disaster almost derail the dream. It’s like Rocky with race cars, complete with training montages and inspiring speeches from the coach.

Gran Turismo doesn’t include many surprises, but it manages to be surprisingly engrossing. The racing scenes include plenty of thrill, and Jann is a likable kid. You’re excited to see him succeed. At the screening I attended, the crowd actually burst into spontaneous applause three separate times. You don’t have to like video games to find this inspiring story entertaining.

Car racing movies

• Ford v Ferrari / 2019
• Cars 3 / 2017
• Lucky Logan / 2017
• Cars 2 / 2011
• Cars / 2006
• The Fast and the Furious / 2001
• Days of Thunder / 1990
• The Cannonball Run / 1981