One’s tolerance of bad screenwriting will be strongly tested by Need for Speed. No attempt is made, for example, to explain why a racer challenging another for six figures would let a friend come along to essentially make the race 2 vs 1, or why police would be unable to find a single witness to identify a bright red, ultra exotic sports car (registered to and driven by the bad guy who claims he wasn’t there) blazing down local streets and a freeway in the middle of the day. And worst of all, the obligatory last big race is really unnecessary given how the story plays out.
But if you’re willing to overlook such flaws, you’ll find yourself a pretty fun street racing / revenge flick, featuring some very well shot driving scenes and decently engaging leads. Need for Speed‘s car chases and street races lack the super fast cuts and general incoherence that would describe their typical mediocre counterparts. There’s a sense of continuity and a lot of creative POV shots. The stunts look real and lend excitement instead of boredom. In fact, there was supposedly no CGI used during filming.
Fresh off Breaking Bad fame, Aaron Paul is more subdued as racer Tobey Marshall than he was as Jesse Pinkman. It’s just enough of a difference to keep viewers from thinking this is a continuation of the show. The role doesn’t require much of him besides to be brooding and he does it competently. Imogen Poots brings a lot of spunk to her part and her scenes with Tobey are unexpectedly one of the film’s strengths. Kid Cudi is another surprise; his song during the credits makes up for being mostly unfunny.
Need for Speed could be appropriately called Need for Stupidity, but solid fun and a lack of pretension can go a long way in making up for a lack of logic. Yeah, bitch!
Dogomon 