Movie Review: Gran Turismo

Last night I went and saw an early showing of the new movie from Sony Pictures called Gran Turismo. Now before diving into the review it is only fair that I mention that I spent 11 years at Sony PlayStation which created the video game of the same name and forms the basis for the story of the movie. I currently work for Sony and work directly with Sony Pictures and Sony PlayStation. In other words, I am not an impartial reviewer. That being said, I did not enjoy the Uncharted movie and think most movies derived from video games don't meet expectations. Given that preface, here is my review.

Working for Sony has given me a lot of behind-the-scenes look at Gran Turismo. There have been several virtual meetings where the creators of the movie have shared the journey from the concept of the film through the entire movie-making process. This had me excited to see the finished product even though I have only played about 10 to 20 hours of various versions of the game. Let me correct that, it is not a game, it is a driving simulator.

Several years ago GT Academy was created to take the best drivers of Gran Turismo and see how they would do on a real race track in actual races. The movie is based on that story and how one of those drivers fared. Whenever the creators needed details for the movie, they went back to the true story and incorporated what really happened. This means there are a lot of very accurate details in the movie that are often sensationalized in other based-on-a-true-story films. At the end of the movie they even point out that Jann, the person the story is based on served as the stunt driver for the film.

I found the story interesting and compelling. My wife went to the movie simply to spend time with me yet at the end said that she really enjoyed it. It is always a win when your spouse enjoys the same movie you do. As we pulled into the driveway we both remarked that it had a similar feel to Ford vs. Ferrari. If you enjoyed that movie, you will enjoy Gran Turismo.

My wife and I are fans of David Harbour from his role in Stranger Things as well as Orlando Bloom from the original Pirates of the Caribbean. Both do an excellent job of playing less-than-perfect characters and add to the authenticity of the story. The race tracks throughout the world make excellent supporting cast members as well.

I wish I could say that Sony gave me free tickets to the film or that I could expense the cost. Nope, I paid full price and all of the associated service fees and spent $36 total for 2 people to see the film. I will probably go see it again in the theaters one more time before I add it to my personal film library.

Hopefully the review is somewhat helpful if you are thinking about seeing Gran Turismo. Watching the film made think about playing the game again. Perhaps that is what I will do tonight.

MotorStorm Apocalypse

When I first got my PlayStation 3, there were several titles that I wanted to get. I kept seeing MotorStorm and wanted a copy. Since my brother worked for Sony at the time, I had him get me the game. I have to say that it was one of my favorites. The first MotorStorm takes place in southern Utah and is a very good representation of that part of the state. I have a buddy who is an avid four wheeler and was amazed at how realistic the game was. When the next version of MotorStorm came out, I was still having fun with the original and didn't feel the need to get it. Then I had someone offer to pick me up the third installment, MotorStorm Apocolypse, for $10. So I got it. Today I finally decided to put it in my PS3 and give it a shot.

MotorStorm Apocalypse was developed by Evolution Studios, LTD which belongs to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). Sony Computer Entertainment is the same company that makes the PlayStation consoles and so the game is only available for the PlayStation 3. They also try to show off all of the cool features available for the platform. One such feature is 3D. Unfortunately I don't have a 3D TV yet and so I didn't get to play that mode. If you have one of the new PlayStation 3D displays, you can play in SimulView. This allows two people to play on the same TV without having to split the screen.

I tried to play MotorStorm Apocalypse a week ago but it required a system update and so I didn't bother as I was limited for time. I didn't think anyone had been playing the game, but I was wrong. My son had completed the entire first day races. I tried the first race on the second day and kept finishing last, so I went back to the menu and started at the beginning. While the original title was like extreme off-road racing, Apocalypse takes extreme to a whole new level. Dare I say, an unbelievable level. You get to race around a vacant city that is experiencing severe earthquakes. Buildings are falling down around you as the race must go on. You even get the chance to race across the rooftops of skyscrapers. One wrong move and you get to fly off into oblivion. Furthermore, if you don't hit your boost at the right time, you don't make certain jumps and crash into the side of a building.

I like MotorStorm Apocalypse but prefer the original MotorStorm. It is rated T for crude humor, drug reference, language, suggestive themes, and violence. I did one full lap with a motorcyclist clinging to my front bumper. I would recommend it for anyone that likes driving games, has a PS3, and is into over-the-top scenarios.