Don't even THINK about having your brain with you when you sit and watch this movie. Very little in "Driven" is plausible, and most of what happens is ridiculous. This is a typical guy flick in every sense of the word. It's got fast cars, hot women, cool crashes, and there's even a scene where two guys are fighting over a girl! But don't look for strong, realistic characters, intelligent dialogue, or even a decent story. There will be none of that here!
But it's still a pretty entertaining movie.
The racing scenes are spectacular. A lotta funky visual effects are used during the driver P.O.V. shots in the races, and even though it looks very unrealistic (purposely, I think), it looks cool. I especially like the driver P.O.V. shots when they race during a rain storm. Again, it looks unrealistic, and again, I think that was done on purpose. Then there are the crashes. Whoa. Very, very cool. Reality doesn't even exist during those shots, but they're incredible to look at.
Inside of every guy is a "Beavis and Butt-head" thing where we get really excited by an explosion, a crash, or something similar... as long as it's destructive. We look at it, smile, and mumble to ourselves, "Heh-heh, that was cool." That's why so many guys were willing to be dragged to "Titanic" multiple times, because we LOVED how cool it looked when the boat was sinking. Every guy has this, though some won't admit it. Women can't seem to figure it out, but that's okay. Women are far more enigmatic than men can ever be.
I've never seen "Days of Thunder," so I don't know if this movie is a rip-off or not. Then again, it's about auto racing, a "sport" where guys drive around in circles. How different can it be? Okay, I don't mean to belittle it, but I just don't get it. It must be a redneck thing, I dunno. Then again, I watch WWF, so who am I to make fun? I WILL say this, I never realized how many hot women go to these events. Everything I know about auto racing, I learned in this movie, so although I could be wrong, it seems like there are quite a few sexy female auto racing fans out there... though they seem be little more than simple groupies.
So who's in this movie, huh? Well, first off, ya got Sylvester Stallone, but he isn't the main guy. He's more of the mentor to the main guy who's played by Kip Pardue (he was "Sunshine," the kid who may or may not have been gay in "Remember the Titans"). There's also Burt Reynolds, who was an icon for movies about car racing in the 1970s and early 80s. Alas, his role in this movie is very different from his roles in those movies. Gina Gershon is in it, and she looks really sexy. Fans of Neil LaBute's films will remember Stacy Edwards as the deaf girl from "In the Company of Men," and there's also some German guy named Til Schweiger who I couldn't seem to take seriously. Oh, there's also Robert Sean Leonard, who you may remember from "Dead Poets Society." They were all fine, I guess. Aside from Til Schweiger, none of 'em really rubbed me the wrong way. Well, I was wondering why Kip Pardue was sweating so much. Somebody needs to get that kid a fan, 'cause he was sweating in every scene!
Oh wait, I forgot to mention someone. Okay, I didn't really forget, I was just saving the best for last. This movie also features the very beautiful Estella Warren. If you don't know the name, it's likely that you HAVE seen the face. She's a three-time Canadian National Champion in synchronized swimming and the solo bronze medalist at the 1995 Junior World Championships. They squeezed in a little scene for her to show off some of her synchronized swimming talents. Of course, that's also the scene where they show a lot of her cleavage, so I guess they killed two birds with one stone there. But aside from being a badass synchronized swimmer (strange combination of words, eh?), she also happens to be one of the most famous supermodels in the world. Her next role is in Tim Burton's upcoming flick, "Planet of the Apes." I can't wait for THAT one. So she does a good acting job in the movie, but it's not her acting, she's just... I dunno, she's hypnotic. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Too bad her role was simply that of "the girl."
"Driven" was directed by Renny Harlin, a guy known for directing sequels, or rip-offs. Sequels include "Die Hard 2," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master." As for rip-offs, some would argue that this is one, as well as "Deep Blue Sea." Renny Harlin's strengths all have to do with visuals and action sequences. He shouldn't direct dramas, know what I mean? Also, he's not really respected. Maybe it's because of his track record. His other movies include "The Long Kiss Goodnight," "Cutthroat Island," "Cliffhanger," and "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane." Well, I've seen his sequels and supposed rip-offs, and I've seen "Cliffhanger" and "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane." I dunno, I kinda like his style. As long as he sticks with these kinds of movies, it's okay. Because of him, "Driven" was at least entertaining.
When it comes to who wrote this film, it gets a little tricky. When I saw this movie, during the opening credits, I saw two unfamiliar names under "Story by," and then under "Screenplay by," it said "Sylvester Stallone." The thing is, as I scour the Internet, and even when I look at the movie poster for "Driven," all it says is "Written by Sylvester Stallone." I don't remember who those two unfamiliar names were, but it seems like Stallone wants to take all the glory. I could be completely wrong, but something DOES seem a little fishy. Anyway, even if there were two other writers involved, Sylvester Stallone did have his hands in the writing. This is nothing new, though. As most of you may know, he wrote "Rocky," and was even nominated for an Oscar for it. Sylvester Stallone is an Oscar-nominated writer and actor. Kinda weird to think about now, right? But yeah, he's had his hands in the writing of about half the movies he's been in. He directed a lot of 'em, too.
So
if you're the kinda guy who likes things that appeal to your "Beavis
and Butt-head" side, check out "Driven." You'll see stuff
blow up, and you can drool over Gina Gershon and Estella Warren. Just remember
to pick up your brain on your way out.
Scale of 1-10: 6