Need for Speed (2014)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Holding Fast

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

With Need for Speed, former stunt man Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) pays homage to the classic action/car chase movies of the 1960s and 1970s by choosing to use all live stunts, with no computer-generated effects. He also casts an actual actor (Aaron Paul, from Breaking Bad), rather than an action hero, to play the lead, resulting in more meaningful, human moments. So, even though the movie is a fairly routine popcorn entertainment with typical twists, romances, heroes and villains, it feels old-fashioned, organic, and exciting. It's based on a video game, but you'd never know it.

Tobey Marshall (Paul) could have been a champion racer, but instead he remained behind in his small community of Mt. Kisco, working on cars with his faithful crew. An old rival, the successful Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper), returns to town with a lucrative offer to restore a classic Ford Mustang. An argument over the sale of the car leads to a race between the enemies, followed by an accident that lands the innocent Tobey in jail. Two years later, he plots to enter the dangerous "De Leon" race, run by the mysterious Monarch (Michael Keaton), but to do so, he must make a speedy cross-country run to San Francisco, with the pretty daughter of the car's owner, Julia (Imogen Poots), in tow. Can Tobey beat Dino and restore his good name?

The stunts, especially one involving an Apache helicopter rescuing the escaping Mustang from the edge of a cliff, are tremendous, with far more powerful impact than mere CG effects could accomplish. It helps that Paul and his co-star, English beauty Imogen Poots, are so good and sympathetic together, showing fear and doubt as well as exhilaration. And even though it runs past two hours, the movie is briskly paced; it's a terrific ride.