Better Late Then Never

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I'm DRIVEN to love this! There is simply so much to love about this movie. I've been waiting to see this for so many years, I can't express how happy I am to finally see it. An intelligent script, with direction that does it justice. Even all the side characters are brilliantly played. This movie never grabbed the public's attention the way it should have. It's a film that reeks of its time and place. The first 38 minutes of the running time are particularly hard to endure. . I'm not sure whether it is really a guilty pleasure or simply a film I remember as being one. So why do I like it so much? The characters are wonderful in the movie. The film unfolds in two halves. I remember watching this and being spellbound by the last third of the movie. 7/10.

i remember sly on the f1 grid getting ideas didn't get many i see plot was bad and as for the racing nothing like real racing unless your on a PlayStation so don't watch it i gave up never watched the end what a waste of my time!!!!!!!!!!!! OK so it goes like this. race car drivers at each others throats over a women sly as mentor showing the rookie how to do it real race driver names just to make it sound real over the top crash scenes that they just walk out of i know safety is good in moto sport now but come on oh yes and don't forget the love triangle so all in all waste of time could have done so much better not even worth watching on a Sunday with a large hangover and i nearly forgot the awful commentating so do not watch i only gave 1 star as it has some fit women in it. !

...but it can be hard to find sometimes. I remember, when it first appeared in theaters, some friends called it "Rocky on wheels." That, it definitely is not. More of Stallone's story filtered through in Rocky. Here, I have the impression that half of the story was jettisoned for "slowing down the action." For there is plenty of action. The speed and horror of crashing are well communicated, as is - strangely enough - the simple thrill of racing. Harlin does a good job with the action sequences, making the moment of impact truly impressive. Racing relies so much on instinct rather than preplanned thought; the pit crew and support staff can only prepare and plan so much - the race still revolves around the driver. Racing is an old sport, and any tried-and-true fans who rent or buy this film hoping accurate, down-to-the-nub details will be disappointed. Harlin and Stallone take plenty of dramatic license. The famous chase through the streets of Chicago? Come on. While obviously something like that would never happen, I understand that Harlin and Stallone were trying to communicate the rage of a rejected young man in a unique and forceful manner. I can allow for that; but the chase went on far too long, almost as though it were enjoying the spectacle for its own sake. Just don't say you weren't warned.Still, in between the racing montages and the overly-loud boom-boom music, there are some good parts. Robert Sean Leonard of "House" fame turns a really great performance. Stallone is strangely given little to do - the story of his character, Joe Tanto, is truncated, giving the impression that is where a lot of cutting happened so the film focuses more on Jimmy Bly (a suitably intense Kip Pardue). This is unfortunate, because I speculate that it is Tanto's back-story that is the real catalyst for the final climatic race. Certain elements of the story felt forced as a result. Our introduction to Joe Tanto happens with little warning or preamble, and exactly why Carl Henry (Burt Reynolds) thought Tanto could help the situation is never clearly stated. Stallone is perfectly cast as the old veteran with a few good races left in him; but , save for the ending, all his character does is dispense advice throughout the film. We see his impact on others, but never really see the impact of events on him. And this is ultimately what drags Driven down: is it about Bly (Pardue) or Tanto (Stallone)? They assembled some good young acting talent, had Stallone ready to play the embattled-but-charming man of wisdom, had Burt Reynolds ready to chew up any scenery he was given. What was 'wrong' in the '80s for Stallone was 'right' for this movie: if it was more about his character, Joe Tanto, his relationship with Carl Henry (Reynolds), and the changes Tanto had to make to help a younger driver and allow himself to get back a little dignity, suddenly you'd have a pretty good film on your hands. Instead, what we have is an assemblage of racing montages with fragments of a story in between - a real wasted opportunity.

I love motor racing and this was on TV so I thought I'd take a look. I don't know if it got a Razzie but it deserved one: even though it had racing cars, it was easily the worst film I've ever seen (and I've seen Under Siege).Apart from the preposterous plot, what really got me was the race sequences. This is real 2- second attention span stuff, with a ridiculous number of highly-unrealistic crashes. I don't know which one was best: the car that went into the tyre barrier and, instead of being brought to a rapid halt, exploded as it burst through the other side of the tyre-wall; or the car that glanced the barriers, inexplicably went airborne, and then was shown in slow- motion... while all the other cars continued on the track at unabated speed- interesting twist on the laws of physics.Most insulting was the total disregard of any characters' fates that were involved in these crashes. Ten cars in a massive crash, including some that get submerged in a lake: so what? Tyre lands amongst the spectators, ah well. I don't know what race marshalls would think about being portrayed taking 4 minutes getting to a crashed car, either.Do yourself a favour and watch Le Mans, Grand Prix or Pixar's Cars instead. Or Days of Thunder: at least that knows it's having a bit of a laugh.