Need for Speed

Movie Title--  Need for Speed

Release Year--  204

Running Time--  2 Hours and 12 Minutes

Director--  Scott Waugh

Cast--  Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Scott Mescudi, Rami Malek, Ramon Rodriguez, Harrison Gilbertson, Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton

A street racer, fresh out of jail after being framed for manslaughter by his wealthy enemy races across country to join a race with revenge on his mind.

Toby Marshall (Aaron Paul) is a down on his luck mechanic trying to make ends meet and hold on to the garage that had once been his father's.  He and his crew enters street races after hours to help supplement their income.  Toby's former rival, Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper), comes into town and makes a deal with Toby to build a rare Ford Shelby Mustang that had been worked on but not completed by the late Carroll Shelby; the deal is Toby would receive 25% of the car's selling price of 2 million dollars.  Toby takes the job although his crew disagrees with the decision.

When the car is complete there is a big party where the car is put up for auction.  At the party, Toby meets Julia (Imogen Poots), an Englishwoman that is working as a broker and agrees to pay more than $2 million for the car if it goes over 230 miles per hour.  The next day, Toby drives the car for her and she clocks it going 234 miles per hour and agrees to buy it for $2.7 million.

After Julia leaves, Dino challenges Toby to a winner take all race; Toby will get Dino's 75% from the sell of the car if he wins but will lose his 25% if he loses.  The race is from the mansion Dino's uncle owns to a bridge just over Interstate 684.  Toby agrees and Dino tells him that they are going to be racing his uncle's Koenigsegg Ageras and upon seeing that there are three identical cars, Toby's friend and partner at the garage, Pete Coleman (Harrison Gilbertson) asks if he can participate in the race, Dino agrees.  During the race, Toby gets an advantage, putting him in the lead and Pete helps to keep Dino back so he can't take the lead away.  As they enter the bridge, Dino gets frustrated that he is being held back and bumps the back of the car, sending the car in the air.  It bursts into flames and flips off the bridge, landing in a ravine.  Dino disappears from the scene and Toby is sent to jail for manslaughter.  

Two years later Toby is released on parole but Toby can only think of revenge.  He contacts Julia and asks to borrow the Shelby Mustang and explains that he wants to enter the De Leon that will be taking place in California in two days.  She arrives with the mustang and Benny (Scott Mescudi), one of Toby's crew gets the gang together for the two day, cross country trip to enter the De Leon and avenge Pete's death.

This film was not a hit with the critics but I thought it was just great.  I really think that Aaron Paul did an awesome job in this film and the members of his crew (Scott Medcudi, Rami Malek, Ramon Rodriquez) did just as well.  The film had everything that a fast pace action film should have; car chases, car crashes, comedy and even a little bit of a romance.  That brings me to the main focus of the film; the cars.

The cars are just awesome.  I feel like the Shelby Mustang pales when compared to the other cars in the film, like the Lamborghini, Bugatti and McLaren but only slightly.  Come into this film to look at the fast cars and the cool chases because the stunt driving in this film is quite excellent.  I will admit that there isn't anything in this "car chase film" that you haven't already seen in films similar to it but I feel like it was still very enjoyable.

For this film I say bring your expensive, fast car enthusiast friends over watch this one for the cars and stay for the rest of the components this film has to offer and Don't Forget the Popcorn!