I was impressed that this was one of the least obnoxious video game movies I've seen. It's shot pretty well. The script pretty much follows the "underdog competitor" playbook step by step, complete with sneering rivals, disapproving parents, a superfluous supportive love interest, a grizzled veteran with a checkered past and tons of advice, a tragic Act II event that shakes the hero's confidence, and a "Chekov's secret strategy" that may help the hero in the end. But hey, this film didn't annoy the hell out of me, and in this era, that may be good enough.

This film had the potential to do for the Nissan GT-R what Top Gun did for the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, but then that Ligier JS PX racer shows up for the final race and takes all the glory.

I went and saw it again today with my uncle and mother who are in town visiting. To my surprise my mom (who isn’t a big racing fan) absolutely loved it!