‘Need for Speed’ Review

 
For Aaron Paul’s first starring vehicle after five years of “Breaking Bad,” the just-turning-35-year-old actor choose a role certainly familiar to the TV series’ fans: an angst-ridden, existential hero who will fight against all odds for loyalty and justice (either above or behind the law) and gets stepped on by the powers-that-be. Here he plays a blue-collar mechanic who races muscle-cars on the side in an unsanctioned street-racing circuit while struggling to keep his family-owned garage afloat. To make ends meet, he reluctantly partners with a wealthy and arrogant ex-NASCAR driver and past rival (Dominic Cooper) who frames him for the death of his best friend in a disastrous car race. Fresh out of jail, he teams up with his old crew and a female exotic car broker (a delightful Imogen Poots) to enter a high stakes supercar race in San Francisco to take his nemesis down — but he first has to run a gauntlet of cops and bad guys from coast to coast. It’s all pretty predictable, with Paul reprising his Jesse Pinkman moves, grunts and asides and not really stepping out into the spotlight. The true stars of the film are the million-dollar sports and GT cars, as well as the racing and, of course, spectacular crashes. And then there’s the beautiful Poots. “Need For Speed” is based on the best-selling video game series.Extras: “Capturing Speed: Making an Authentic Car Movie,” “Need for Speed Rivals” trailer. Blu-ray adds “Ties That Bind,” “The Circus Is In Town,” commentary with director Scott Waugh and Aaron Paul, Monarch & Maverick outtakes, deleted scenes, “The Sound of Need for Speed,” “B-Camera” crash compilation (Easter Egg). Vitals: Director: Scott Waugh. Stars: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton. 2014, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 130 min., Action, Box office gross: $43.189 million, Disney.