Ten Years ago, March 14th 2014, Need for Speed was released in cinemas. It garnered a lot of attention due to it being based on a popular gaming series but also obviously with it staring Aaron Paul in his first major role post-Breaking Bad, and as a lead in a blockbuster style movie.
The comparisons to that other car franchise were always going to be there, I think it was already on it’s 6th installment, and was mentioned in ALL reviews I’ve read to date. It was also released during Spring Break, a time when family friendly movies always perform stronger at the box office with the kids off school. Need For Speed was already being spoken about in terms of a franchise, even before it’s opening night so there really was a buzz about this movie.
My personal confession
It’s here I need to share a confession, and I’m doing this to present my own experience with this movie. It pains me to admit that when I first saw Need for Speed, I didn’t come away from it a fan. However, as the years have passed, and I beleive I’m not the only one experiencing this, theres been a real change of heart towards this movie. Personally, I now regularly re-watch this movie multiple times a year, I enjoy it immensely as a go to film, and now wish that there could have been more so it could have become the franchise it deserved to be. Why didn’t this happen? And yes, in part I blame myself, I was part of the problem with my initial reaction back in 2014.
Before I discovered Breaking Bad, and in turn Aaron Paul, I was a huge fan of the Need for Speed Games. I can’t even begin to guess how many hours I’ve lost to the series, I always enjoyed the gameplay and the story that ran loosely in the background as you gained experience and street cred. The game was so much fun, it had an energy unlike any other racing game, it had an edge and I was excited to see a Need for Speed movie being developed. In fact I still play the game now, all the various versions that exist out there including the very latest edition released just last year ‘NFS Unbound‘.
I’m not sure now what I was expecting or why I didn’t connect with this movie on release. I feel I simply could not relate my passion for the video game with the first trailer, so my confidence that it could ever replicate what I enjoyed from the game became low and in fairness when I finally sat down to watch the movie I was distracted by the fact the game seemed to have been completely ignored bar one moment it appeared on a TV screen in the background – I chose to be disappointed and not enjoy the film for what it was – and that’s totally on me, as a former film student I really shouldn’t have been so shallow!
A few years ago I found myself rewatching the movie, it was on TV and I found myself strangely engrossed almost immediately, I was watching the movie in a slightly different head space. I was pleasently surprised, I still hadn’t discovered Breaking Bad, or Aaron Paul but I did now know Rami Malek from Mr Robot and for some reason Micheal Keaton suddenly jumped out at me on this viewing where I’d not really noticed him before.
What surprised me most, having now worked a little on promoting a couple of those other crazy car movies, was how amazing the driving scenes were by comparison to what was being considered the norm in movies. On this viewing something that really grabbed my attention, and that I appreciated more was the hands on, real stunt work I could see, the lack of CGI really stood in a positive way. I started to tell people at this point to give Need for Speed another chance, especially to appreciate the craft of stunt cars and action.
Need for Speed is the real deal, no CGI in sight
Sure enough I did eventually discover Breaking Bad, and Aaron Paul and that only served in making me appreciate the whole package that was Need for Speed a lot more. Need for Speed is as much a story of redemption, and making sure prices are paid as it is a tip of the hat to old style filmaking, in a world where it’s getting harder to tell what is real and what isn’t.
There is a real quality to Need for Speed that is unmatched in modern day movies, and I think my growing love for the movie over the past ten years is very much in reaction to the growing use of CGI for every last detail of a movie to make it perfect, and totally unreal – it’s become the new normal.
I will never grow tied of that amazing shot of Tobey Marshall drifting to a stop so perfectly in front of camera. It feels so real, you can tell it’s a practical stunt with no pixels in sight, and it’s a glorious shot.
Watching the now I’m not entirely sure what could have been done different to win over the 2014 version of me, and in truth I wouldn’t want it changed. I wonder now how I expected a film that remained faithful to the game would be a fun watch? It would have just been someone showing up out of nowhere, learning to race for half a film, getting better yeah I’m already bored by that cliche concept!
Much was said in reviews at the time about the story, the characters, and as mentioned before unfair comparisons to the ‘other’ franchise. When you take a moment to learn about this movie, the people behind it, the extra efforts that went into making this movie as realistic as possible, it’s so clear to me that a very big point was missed. This movie was inspired by the spirit of the video game, but it was embraced by the passion for real stunts, the talent that existed from legendary stunt guys to real life racing drivers to deliver the the speed in this film is incredible.
Aaron Paul himself undertook stunt driving lessons in preparation for this role, alongside Dominic Cooper. You can hear the joy in his voice when talking about the driving in this film, there was a genuine passion to deliver a love letter to all the classic car movies, the cars were the important factor and the cast came together to create such a great onscreen chemistry. This is where I return to the point that was missed, this movie wasn’t trying to be like that other franchise, it was only ever focused on being a genuine burning rubber, flipping cars, racing across America, classic car movie – unfortunately we live in a world where the safer, impossible, green screen haven of reality is considered more entertaining, and that’s a sad thought.
All that being said, one aspect I’m still a little interested in is the fact Aaron Paul originally auditioned for Dino Brewster, that could have been equally interesting in hindsight but seeing Paul opposite Imogen Poots again was a joy, and I just wish we could have seen more from this gang.
I leave you with one last thought – At the end of Need for Speed we saw Tobey Marshall being arrested again for street racing, would he have been given a longer sentence this time, say a 10 year sentence, maybe? Isn’t now the time to revisit our hero and see how he rebuilds his life, in a world where maybe we’re a little more CGI, superhero, greenscreen weary – isn’t there still a chance of a sequel? I’m surely not alone in thinking this – Need for Speed 2 needs to happen.
I feel the world is ready, it’s just taken us a bit of time to wake up to this fact.
