BEFORE I BEGIN...
Please note I am not any kind of movie buff. I rarely watch movies. So do not assume I can tell you anything and everything about movies. Everything provided in this blog post is primarily opinion-based.If I make reference to the Gran Turismo movie, it will be in quotation marks (""). Okay- let's get it!
A Note About "Gran Turismo"...
"Gran Turismo" will be released in theaters on August 11 in the United States. I think it will be released in August 8 in some other markets. This movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA). It features intense action and some strong language."Gran Turismo" Movie
^ from: (YouTube) - "Based on the true story of an impossible dream." Welcome to "Gran Turismo!"
"If you miss a line in the game, you reset. You miss it on the track... you could die."
-"Gran Turismo"
Gran Turismo has grown to be a highly successful racing/driving game series since its circa 1997 roots. The racing game not even its creator would think be any kind of immense success basically became one of the greatest racing game series ever. The Gran Turismo series has legions of fans worldwide who have many fond memories of action across the multiple games in the series. Everything from going full speed and taking on some of the most intense races to collecting cars as if they were Pokémon have helped Gran Turismo become what it has become.
For those reasons, some people think the idea of a Gran Turismo movie seems silly. Why would you want to potentially bring down the appeal of the Gran Turismo series by making a movie? Why would you even want to take a chance expressing Gran Turismo's appeal into a movie? Well, let's make one thing clear. "Gran Turismo" is the telling of a true story. It is the true story of Gran Turismo gamers becoming professional racing drivers. So it is not as if the "Gran Turismo" movie is some purely fictional deal put together becoming a hot mess of fail.
Let's get one thing straight- this movie is NOT going to be full of cheesy one-liners and fabricated action like you may see in the "The Fast and the Furious" series. So I doubt this movie is going to be something that could have been some student's project or final for some class about 3D modeling or movie production. Remember that "Gran Turismo" is based on a true story. If you're going to re-enact a true story, it's best to be as real as possible. Throw in your usual thoroughfare of Hollywood effects, of course; but be true to the story.
Many people would think about something like the "Initial D" series as the Gold Standard of automobile/motorsports-based movies or cartoons. Sure, Initial D involves a much different discipline of automobile culture, but it is what a lot of people would think about in terms of racing games (or even manga) turned into movies.
Initial Concerns.
The one thing to be skittish about is if something like the "Gran Turismo" movie would fall in line with a handful of other games-turned-movies. Usually such projects mostly are cheap ways to cash in on a game's success or try to mooch for some extra money. Many people were disgusted with how the "Super Mario Bros." movie of the early-mid 1990s ended up. Even more people did not like the "Street Fighter" movie of about 1994. I don't really know how people felt about the "DOOM" movie featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. There was even a "Need for Speed" movie, and I'm not even sure how that movie ended up.Lately, though, some more modern games-turned-movies have actually become pretty good. The newer "The Super Mario Bros." movie seemed to perform much better than the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie from the 1990s/ The recent "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie series have done pretty well in theaters. So maybe you have some hope that "Gran Turismo" will not flop based on more recent games-turned-movies based on success of recent movies.
Would a More Fictional Storyline be Better?
I actually imagined if I made my own fan fiction about an up-and-coming racer going from grassroots to Gran Turismo World Champion. If you are going to tell a more fan-made story as opposed to what the "Gran Turismo" movie is going to be about, a serious risk is being taken. The wrong sort of execution can make even the most well-devised story become an absolute flop.If Sony and company wanted to make a more fictional story regarding Gran Turismo, they'd probably make one in the vein of being in the Gran Turismo ecosystem. It could be the story of one or multiple people trying to climb up the ranks of Gran Turismo to go from earning the B-License to becoming Gran Turismo World Champion. Therefore, I do not think it is entirely a bad idea for the "Gran Turismo" movie to take on this true story mindset rather than make something completely fictional. It is this "virtual reality to total reality" that I think will give the "Gran Turismo" movie its appeal.
How Will "Gran Turismo" Fare in Theaters?
I do not think "Gran Turismo" will be one of the all-time greats in raking in millions to billions of US dollars. I don't see it taking on "Top Gun Maverick" or "Barbie" or anything for top grossing movies. While I hate to use this word in regards to Gran Turismo, I do see "Gran Turismo" being a good niche movie for those into the Gran Turismo series. My hope is maybe those not into cars and not into racing can maybe find something to love about "Gran Turismo." I know there are lots of people not into racing/driving games or not into simulation racing games. "Gran Turismo" may possibly intrigue people into playing the Gran Turismo game series. Even if not about racing/driving games, this movie may encourage others to simply follow their dreams, not even knowing where their love and passion will take them. So there is a lot to take away from "Gran Turismo" prior to it hitting theaters.A lot of things can go right for the "Gran Turismo" movie. Conversely, a lot of things can go wrong for "Gran Turismo." It all depends on what the critics say and how fans view this movie.
Don't even think of "Gran Turismo" as make-or-break for the franchise. It is not as if the Gran Turismo series is struggling to remain relevant that making a movie is a last resort to stay afloat. This is still going to be a gaming franchise loved and admired by adoring fans. I don't think "Gran Turismo" is going to damage the appeal of the Gran Turismo franchise unless the movie goes far off the path of the Gran Turismo series to a lackluster direction.
Could Other Racing/Driving Games Follow Suit With "Gran Turismo?"
Oh, imagine if Grand Theft Auto got its own movie. Imagine if Ridge Racer got its own movie. Imagine if Forza Motorsport and/or Forza Horizon got their own movies. There's even a series on Peacock involving the "Twisted Metal" series. Based on how well (or not so well) "Gran Turismo" does, you know other game franchises may want to take their shot at making a racing/driving game movie to challenge "Gran Turismo." Any other racing/driving games potentially getting a movie will be possibly telling fictional material as opposed to the true story nature of "Gran Turismo." It is still very well possible other directors may be coming up with their own movies based on racing/driving game franchises.Trailers.
Most of you who have followed my work know that I do not show any sort of media until the end. So at this point, here is where I share some media with you all. Take a look at these trailers to get an idea of what the "Gran Turismo" movie will be like:^ GRAN TURISMO - Official Trailer (HD)
And here is a more recent trailer:
^ GRAN TURISMO - Official Trailer 2 (HD)
I am not a movie watcher. However, if I was going to see "Gran Turismo" in theaters or at home, I surely would see this movie. I wasn't as intrigued about this movie until I saw the second trailer.
Once "Gran Turismo" is released proper in theaters, we all can make our own critiques about it. What say you, though?
Are you intrigued about "Gran Turismo?" How do you think it will fare in theaters?
This is kind of a departure from discussing racing/driving games in this blog, which is what it is normally about. Though, everything discussed in this blog has some kind of connection to racing/driving games. I hope you enjoy my efforts here. If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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