It
happened! It finally happened, guys! SPOILERS:
Dreamworks finally made a movie without a
ridiculous dance-party ending!
Film Summary: Theo dreams of becoming a
famous racer. The only problem: he's a snail. But after a freak accident gives
him super-snail powers that allow him to rival the speed of a Formula 1 car, he
and his friends set out to take on the Indy 500.
I
recently moved to a small town in Indiana for a job opportunity. Unlike my
former, tourist trap of a home, there is only one movie theater in the area.
And this one movie theater has only one screen.
Please
take this moment to pick up your jaw off the floor.
Yes,
it's hard for privileged audiences like myself to think of a movie theater with
one screen that is only in business on weekends. But in a way, I found this to
be a blessing in disguise. Not only was the ticket price a mere four dollars
(go ahead and pick up your jaw again), but it also gave me the opportunity to
see a movie I probably would not have picked out from the array of blockbusters
that are out now. The Wolverine and The Conjuring would have been the
highest contenders for my money and reviewing purposes. Yet, the only option I
had to satisfy my cinematic craving was a movie about a little snail who wanted
to be a racer.
Like
I said, Turbo would not have been my
first pick to spend my money on. The concept of a creature that is famous for
its slow speed living in the fast lane is quite clever, the trailer failed to
really peek my interest enough, so I was quick to write it off as a "wait
until you can rent it" flick. Yet, after sitting down and watching it in
that small theater packed with kids and adults alike, I was reminded that you
should never judge a movie by its trailer.
From
the very beginning of the film, the creators manage to hook the audience into
the big world of Theo, or Turbo as he likes to call himself. We are intrigued
by his unusual interests, invested by his passion and determination, and
heartbroken by the obstacles he has to face. He's a character with heart and a
familiar drive that we are able to personally recognize, but that doesn't mean
he is perfect. Then again, who is? He can be cocky at times, which tends to be
the main problem with almost every role Ryan Reynolds is given, but thankfully
not to the point where he comes off as unlikable. He also has a habit of
putting himself and his needs before that of his rule-abiding brother (voiced
by Paul Giamatti). They're relationship from the very beginning is the clichéd
"I love you, but I need to follow my dream" vs. "I'm saying you
can't do what you want to because I don't want you to get hurt" dilemma.
The writers managed to play it off in a very refreshing way, however. Yes, the
two brothers share different opinions on a snail racing, but you can see
through the way they interact with each other that both sides never reach an
extreme point that many movies tend to resort to. The pacing of their growing
understanding for one another is timed out very well, as is the pacing for
everything else in the movie. The snails siblings are also given two human
guardians about halfway through the film that parallel each other and help
their struggles become a little more relatable.
While
I can’t say the animation was anything groundbreaking, I do believe Turbo’s strength can be found in its
characters and story. The underdog principle holds strong as I found myself
really caring about the characters’ goals and even cheering when they find
success. The writers even managed to provide solid recurring jokes that never
failed to produce a laugh.
Turbo ended up being quite a refreshing
Hollywood gem; a movie you believed would be just another mediocre flop that
turned out to be incredibly entertaining. While it does fall to many clichés
found in beloved underdog tales, it still remains a thrilling ride that will
make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat.
FINAL VERDICT: It’s worth the
ticket price! Treat yourself to a family night at the movies.
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