Need For Speed Vs Fast 7: “Realism” Bid

At the weekend Aaron Paul, star of upcoming race ’em up Need For Speed, appeared on popular television show Top Gear.  Naturally during his interview they got around to asking him about Need For Speed and what was interesting was Paul’s immediate offensive/insistence that the movie was practical, that it was inspired by the likes of Bullitt and Smokey and the Bandit.

“There is absolutely no CGI in this movie.  None”.

The host pressed Paul and queried that if that’s true, how such expensive cars were destroyed, to which Paul said the studio took financial hits by destroying kit-cars (expensive ones).  Paul’s attack on CGI pretty much made up the bulk of his promotion for the movie.  The words “old school” were used multiple times.  It was almost like he was saying… you should go see this movie if you thought Fast 6 was stupid.

Last year, on this subject, director Scott Waugh came out with similar words. “I’m all about practicality because I believe that, if you break the rules of physics in stunt work, you break the rules of character jeopardy. If a car can jumps off a moving train that’s 40 feet high and land and keep going, then a person can take a bullet and keep going, too. [In reality] if a car crashes, it ain’t going anywhere.”

Meanwhile, Fast & Furious 7 director James Wan actually said similar stuff last year. “I’m a big fan of old-school car chases.  One of my favourite movies of all time is just one big car chase: Spielberg’s Duel. “I love how simple that movie is, and how brilliantly made and constructed and shot it is, on such a low budget.  I love that flm”  You can read the full article on Wan’s thoughts on ‘grounding’ the F&F series here.

The good news about all of this is that it seems that in the wake of Vin Diesel and The Rock’s flying abilities, both parties are trying to distance themselves from what the Fast & The Furious has turned into, even the new Fast & Furious director — and appeal to a sense of realism.  Whether or not that’s actually what we get, and it doesn’t appear to be the case especially in Need For Speed, it’s good to hear that there’s almost a fear of CGI developing, a stigma, and the effect it’ll have on promotion and word of mouth.

And that’s a good thing.