Driven...at a medium pace

Rating: Null/10 (19 August 2001)

As the summer movie season approaches, the moviegoer is drenched with a profile of high octane, glamorous previews that simply demand our attention. The first entry into the pile is the new Sylvester Stallone film, Driven'. Upon seeing the trailers and teasers for this film I was wondering to myself, is this the movie that will open the summer blockbuster movie season of 2001? Usually, the crown for the opening film goes to a typical Hollywood blockbuster that practically smashes all competition at the box office. Yet, while Driven' possesses all the characteristics of a good old-fashioned summer blockbuster; i.e. bass-pounding music, great race sequences, women, loud and full and quick flashes, etc (Fill characteristics according to action genre)did I mention the womenit still fails to deliver on the level a summer film should deliver. Driven' which was scripted by Stallone himself focuses on the Cart Circuit of Professional racing. While first plans were made to go with the F1 Circuit, the producers of the film focused on the Cart Circuit, and the result is quit trivial at times. Surprisingly, Sly wrote himself as the lead supporting actor who must guide a troubled young driver onto the path of glory  does he succeed? If you are a movie fan, you already know the answer. As far as plot goes, the pacing of the movie simply revolves around filling screen time between each meticulously constructed, exquisitely shot race sequence. Director Renny Harlin seems to convey the image that he wants to make a film that fans will remember as the definitive race film, yet, a filmmaker must remember that in order to make a great film, there must be some form of substance to remember it by. In no way am I knocking' the film in a condescending manner, yet so much work was put on the race scenes that by the cgi (computer generated imagery)-filled climactic race, the intelligent movie goer will think to themselves, `Why am I caring who wins?' That is not to say that it is a horrible film, if Harlin intended on simply making a collage of the most pulse-pounding race scenes roughly strung together for a two-hour piece, he has succeeded. The scenes are incredibly well done, yet those scenes in question are the race sequences. (Look for the great sequence when the young driver, played by Kip Pardue, steals a Cart car and Stallone chases him through the Montreal Ville Marie Tunnel standing in for Chicago. This scene brings a whole new meaning to the term unrealistic'). There are also solid attempts at working the tension between the characters, for example, the villainous driver Mo Brandenburg seems to be a weak rip-off of F1's Ferrari Champion Michael Schumacher, yet all this does not seem solid enough at crafting a good film that touches upon all facets required to make a great film. Furthermore, the women in this movie are completely useless. It seems as if these women were put in the film simply as an excuse for some previews to show a romantic side to the film. Truth is, every single woman in this film seems to be so conveniently placed within all these men's lives, that is seems completely ridiculous. One woman is a reporter, while the other the woman torn between two men. What the movie cannot hide is that these women have absolutely no point being there except for an excuse of somewhat of a romantic plot-twist. Therefore, has the summer movie season finally begun yet? No. Driven' manages to disappoint on many levels but delivers on what it sets out to do  it contains some great race scenes that are truly extraordinary. I wish I could say the same for the film, but unfortunately that is not the case.

Giancarlo's Rating: **