(Movie Review: [NFSPD] Need for Speed A- .. "Fast & Fun")
Theater: AMC 30 Block-Orange
City: Orange, CA
Date: 10/23/13
Seats: 500 (full)
Rating: PG-13 (seems apparent)
Soundbite: "Fast & Fun"
If any indication, folks were lined up 3-4 hours before the screening took place.
To begin, the movie makes a sincere effort to stick to the Need for Speed niche in the
world of racecars. This does not dwell in areas which Fast and Furious already covers:
tricked-out mods, drifting, and boost. It sticks to what it is known for: production and
higher-end sportscars.
The plot, action, and characters do a very good job of standing on their own. The
characters, although feel familiar to FnF, are delivered with a different flair. Concepts
of thug/street life are out the window and sexy elements are muted. The humor of the movie
is delivered as opportune times to keep the movie rolling along. Also helps very much to
create a bond with the characters. Aaron Paul is featured, but the entire cast does well.
The action is really focused on the racing and driving skills of the characters. It
delivers what one would expect for a Need For Speed fan. The cars and racing. Characters
and driving styles are woven in decently to deliver a full film.
Overall feel of the film is very kid-friendly and PG-13 driven. As mentioned above, adult
elements are muted to cast the wider net. But delivers nice depth on the action and
characters, avoiding the hollow feel of a typical Hollywood popcorn movie.
The crowd that saw it was very enegaged in the movie and characters. There were laughs
cheers, and cries and the right moments. Of particular note, the ladies were quite taken
with the movie. It tries to hit key demos, and it appears to succeed.