Need for Speed - Hot Cars, Mind-Blowing Racing & Aaron Paul

Official Need for Speed Poster

I went into Need for Speed with some trepidation.  I never was a huge Fast and Furious super-fan, and the trailer didn’t give me a lot to go on.  I am, however, a BIG fan of Aaron Paul, having watched his masterful portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the series Breaking Bad on AMC from 2008-2013. 

Aaron Paul as Tobey Marshall

In 2010 and 2012, Paul won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and in 2014 won the SAG Award (with the entire cast) for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.  There were many nominations from

Shelby Mustang from the film

2008-2013, including Golden Globe nominations and Saturn Awards.  The talented Paul has acting chops, and good ones.  He is a true character actor. This is what really had me interested in Need for Speed; seeing him in a very different role.

Well, I can honestly tell you Aaron Paul does not disappoint in the role of Tobey Marshall in Need for Speed.  He does an incredible job as a man out to avenge the death of one of his best friends and his own false imprisonment, deciding to do so through racing.  Unfortunately for movie goers, some of the story is more than a bit flimsy, there are a few holes in the plot and the actors supporting Paul are mostly mediocre - all leaving me with some muddled feelings on this film.   

With just a few changes, Need for Speed could've been a much better movie. Regrettably, the theatrical release left me feeling as though something was missing, even though Paul did a remarkable job as Marshall.  You may find it interesting that IMDB movie-goers have given this film a 7.3/10 stars so far (at the time of this blog publication), which is much higher than many top critics. 
 

One of many crash scenes in the film

The cars and street racing came across as very realistic, and many times it felt as though I was actually in a car going over 200 mph.  The fact that Director Scott Waugh is a former Hollywood stunt coordinator and filmed the races, both cross-country and the

Some of the hot cars you will see

street racing scenes, using the actors, stunt drivers and live racing, is awesome!  I felt like my hair should have been blowing back with the wind in my face at times.  No fakey-racey going on in this film (aka CGI).  While many have found this to be a negative, I can assure you it’s not. The racing’s the very best part of this film, and there’s a ton of it.

Where the movie loses some speed (pun intended) is with the co-starring cast of characters and a thin plot line.  It is, after all, based on a series of video games that has been around since the early 1990’s and historically these types of movies generally don’t do so well at the box office.  Take, for instance, Max Payne, BloodRayne, Mortal Kombat, and Silent Hill, just to name just a handful.  If you are a gamer and have an interest, I found a great Need for Speed Gaming Retrospective that you might like. 

I'd like to note that both Imogene Poots and Scott Mescudi did a really great job.  Both were funny when they needed to be and they helped carry the movie when the racing was and wasn't going on.  I have nothing bad to say about Dakota Johnson's small role, either.  The

Imogene Poots as Julia Maddon

rest of the cast, however, in one way or another, lacked feeling and the acting felt forced. 

I do recommend seeing this film, but not because it has an excellent storyline. See it for a great couple of hours of entertainment, some mind-blowing racing and a lot of really hot cars, and just for Aaron Paul.  It’s a fantastic ride for those things alone. 

Aaron Paul & the main cast of Need for Speed

I give Need for Speed ★★★☆☆

MPAA Rating:  PG-13 

(for sequences of reckless street racing, disturbing crash scenes, nudity and crude language)

Running Time: 132 Mins.

Sex           ★☆☆☆☆

Nudity      ★★☆☆☆
Language      ★★☆☆☆
Violence     ★★★☆☆
Alcohol/Drugs     ★☆☆☆☆

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Pictures courtesy of screenrant.com, kingroomentertainment.com and IMDB.com.  Movie ratings information and Awards information courtesy of IMDB.com.