Culture

Rating: D-

I had low expectations for Need for Speed, but apparently, not low enough. The plot consists of everything you’ve seen before in a car racing movie: redemption, bravery, misogyny and cliché phrases such as “he’s like a brother to me!” But the film’s tired tropes were the least of its worries. The inherent issue with Need for Speed is that street racing is stupid and selfish, and it’s difficult to regard the protagonist, Tobey, as a hero for doing something that is putting hundreds of innocent lives at risk, FOR NO GOOD REASON. As much as the film tried to construct the other non-racing cars on the road as inconveniences, it’s hard to forget that they are full of ordinary people, who probably don’t want to die so that Tobey can show the world how a “real man races.” The Fast and Furious series escapes this feeling of imminent death through the use of CGI, but Need for Speed was filmed completely with real stunts, giving the races an air of reckless stupidity rather than adrenaline and excitement.

In addition, Need for Speed showcases the worst racial stereotyping I have seen in recent years. The film’s one non-white character, Benny (bizarrely played by Kid Cudi – WTF), may as well have been named “The Black Guy” as he ate up most of his screen time by twerking, wearing doo-rags, and referring to everyone as his “boy.”

The big pity with Need for Speed is that Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots are class acts, and the film makes them sink to its level. Poots is the film’s major redeeming feature, and it is no surprise that it becomes significantly more enjoyable once she is given more screen time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come until the second hour. Oh, did I forget to mention that Need for Speed is two and quarter hours long? It’s all about quantity, not quality. If you’re a devoted Breaking Bad fan wanting to support Aaron Paul in the next stage of his career, wait for his next film … if he’s ever hired again.