Movie Review - Rush

[jjasper0729]

Putting in a request for the omni-present Jason Evans to do a review on Rush when it comes out. I saw some of the previews on Top Gear (on BBC America) when Ron Howard was the guest with Clarksen. They thought it was quite well done (and they love F1).

Thanks

[JasonEvans]

Putting in a request for the omni-present Jason Evans to do a review on Rush when it comes out. I saw some of the previews on Top Gear (on BBC America) when Ron Howard was the guest with Clarksen. They thought it was quite well done (and they love F1).

Thanks

I am seeing it on Monday, 9/16. Will update you then.

-Jason

[Reisen]

What did you think?

[JasonEvans]

What did you think?

I had a scheduling conflict and could not make last night's screening. I am seeing it next Monday instead. Sorry for the delay.

As an aside, I saw a screening of Prisoners, which was a really tense thriller with some wonderful moments, but was too twisty and went on too long. I had hoped it might be an Academy Award contender like Gone Baby Gone, but it wasn't really in that league. Still good, but not great. Ahh well. There is a reason it is a September release, not a Nov or Dec one.

-Jason "the acting in Prisoners is better than the story" Evans

[JasonEvans]

So, I got to see a screening of Rush last night and I really enjoyed it. It was not a great film, not one that I expect to be talked about come Oscar season, but it was an enjoyable evening at the movies and is a film worth watching.



I was impressed with the directing and Ron Howard's ability to capture the action of a Formula 1 race. I know most Americans are not big F1 fans, it has never been the sport over here that it is in Europe and the rest of the world, but I think Howard does a good job of conveying what a race is like and the speeds/danger involved. I really like the fact that this movie is going to educate the American public about this sport and some of its past heroes.

The story of the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt is a fun one and, for the most part, I believe they portrayed things truthfully. The film makes them out to be a bit more rivals than they actually were, but it allows the film to do some fun things later on when the rivals grow to like and respect each other. Chris Hemsworth does a good job as the lovable carefree Hunt though his character didn't have much of a arc. He's a playboy at the start and never really changes. Daniel Bruhl has the really tough acting job of portraying Lauda, who is more than a little stone-faced and unlikeable though is a tireless worker. Bruhl pulls it off nicely and we eventually become real fans of Lauda. Bruhl is best known to American audiences from his role in Inglorious Basterds as the German war hero who falls in love with the movie theater owner but he is about to become a much better known star thanks to this movie and his role in the upcoming Fifth Estate with Bennedict Cumberbatch.



The movie clocks in at just over 2 hours and it did feel sorta long at times. After seeing it, I read a bit more about Lauda and Hunt and I think there are some things that could have been done differently with the story to make it a bit better and more lively. As much as I liked the racing, it did get a bit tiresome at times as every race is pretty much portrayed the same way -- with journalists frantically calling the race and the cars sometimes seeming unrecognizable.

Again, this is a good movie, though not a great one. If you are eager to see it, you will probably like it and be pleased. I don't think it is a film that will cross over into folks who are not at least mild racing/sports fans so be warned if you are skeptical of seeing it.

-Jason "considering we usually get nothing but lousy movies in September, this is a good flick to pick if you are heading out to the movies this month" Evans

[A-Tex Devil]

I doubt this movie will be a seminal event in Formula 1's attempt to invade the US market, but it is another step to garner a stronger fan base here. I am interested in this movie and look forward to it.

For those that don't know (and I'm not sure I would if I wasn't in Austin), the first race track built in the U.S. specifically for Formula 1 (unlike say, Watkins Glenn, Sonoma, etc. which were truly multi-purpose) was completed just outside of Austin a little more than a year ago, with the first race last December. Austinites, including me and frankly the organizers, expected it to be a logistical nightmare, and to take some lumps the first year. But it was an unqualified success. There were, and are, growing pains (2 lane country roads to get to certain sides of the park, pedestrian traffic jams all over the track, especially on the bridges), but the track is beautiful, and formula 1 experts have said it is already one of the most exciting tracks in the world.

The US Grand Prix comes for round 2 in about 6 weeks. There are new challenges (it is the same weekend as a UT home football game this year and Austin, while working on it, has very limited hotel space), but after last year's stunning success -- especially from the logistical perspective of getting up to 120K folks to and from the track in rural Travis County each day -- I look forward to going to future races there.

[BD80]

... the first race track built in the U.S. specifically for Formula 1 (unlike say, Watkins Glenn, Sonoma, etc. which were truly multi-purpose) was completed just outside of Austin a little more than a year ago, ... Austin, while working on it, has very limited hotel space...

That's the beauty of NASCAR, the fans drive their homes to the race ...

[jjasper0729]

Thanks Jason, for the review. I am going to try to see it in the theatres. Having grown up in a NASCAR household, I for some reason, gravitated to Formula 1. Something about the Ferrari v12 (at the time, now it's v10) screaming down the straight away was fascinating to me.

Thanks again

[willywoody]

My wife and I saw Rush last night and Jason's review is pretty spot on. It is unfortunate that the white and red McLaren of Hunt is too similar in appearance to the red and way too much white of the Ferrari in the mid 70's. Along with the quick cut editing of the race scenes, it is hard to follow the action at times. It reminded me of the way battle scenes are shown in modern superhero movies.