The Need for Speed movie is set to be released to theaters tomorrow, and critics are already showing some hate for the film. Expectations aren’t exactly high for movies based on video games anyway, but could this trend of early reviews knocking the media down be going too far?
The same thing happened to Titanfall merely days before it was even released, with PlayStation 4 and Call of Duty fanboys posting user reviews to give the game a score in the 30s, dramatically conflicting with actual critics. Those early reviews may have been taken down, but the disturbing fact remains that user reviews on Metacritic can be a battleground for fanboys who may only want to bring a form of media down before it’s had a chance.
In the case of the Need for Speed movie review numbers, it seems that critics who were able to see early screenings are already blasting the film. While this isn’t exactly surprising, it shows that video game based movies have earned a reputation that Hollywood may not be willing to repair.
Why should they make better movies? We moviegoers will continue to show up at the theater and slap our money down for that movie we know isn’t going to live up to the hype. The Need for Speed movie, much like the last few Resident Evil films, will bring in money in spite of everybody knowing it’s probably terrible. As long as we pay to see them, they’ll keep making them.
The critics mostly appear to agree that the highlight of the movie is Breaking Bad ‘s Aaron Paul, while the rest of the cast seems willing to sit back and rake in the money. They say the plot appears to be trying to emulate Vin Diesel’s The Fast and the Furious franchise, but it doesn’t try to do anything original. Given how little time the movie has been in production, again it’s no surprise.
Admittedly, the Need for Speed movie reviews could simply be reflecting the lack of originality in recent movies, since we now actually have a collection of race movies to choose from. Speed Racer , The Fast and the Furious , Gone in 60 Seconds , and Rush have mostly run the gauntlet of what a race movie can do.
Our movie critic @JoeMorgenstern says there’s no one behind the wheel in @aaronpaul_8 ‘s new movie ‘Need for Speed’ http://t.co/ser8LM9mSM
— WSJ Life & Style (@WSJLife) March 13, 2014
For those who just want to see another race film and don’t really care about originality or acting talent, the Need for Speed movie may just tide you over until Fast and Furious 7 pays its respects to the late Paul Walker.
Do you think the early Need for Speed movie reviews are being too harsh? Do you still plan on seeing it?
[image via roadandtrack.com , YouTube ]