Turbo

'Turbo' is a snail that has a dream. He wants to race with the fastest cars in the world, but of course he is just a slow snail. After an accident where he falls onto the road, Turbo starts to turn into something fast; he has lights and nitrous speed. He is then found by a guy called Tito who has a lot of snails that he races. When he sees just how fast Turbo is he wants to enter him into the Indy 500 race (which is what Turbo wants too). He believes in him so raises the money to do so.

This film sounds like a pretty stupid idea but I thought it worked rather well. It's a whole load of fresh new characters and designs, excellent animation and lovely colours as usual with an animated film.

The story is a bit predictable of course but it was still an enjoyable film all round. Turbo and Tito are very likable characters. The supporting characters are also good too. I didn't know when I started watching it but you can tell straight away that Snoop Dogg and Samuel L Jackson voiced two of the snails; I liked them two in particular.

The race at the end is quite fast paced as well which was good and of course he couldn't do it without a little help from his friends.

It was quite funny overall. It had a really good soundtrack. Also some good quotes which you may remember for a while; 'Snailed it' 'That snail is fast'. It was a joyful way to spend 90 minutes and I think it's one that the youngsters will love, as well as the adults who like animated films in general.

One of the better animated films released this year (UK). Wreck it Ralph is my favourite but I enjoyed this as much as Monsters University.

8/10.

The trailer of this new Dreamworks animated film did not really make me interested to watch because I thought the whole racing snail story would be corny. However, my kids insisted and there were some favorable initial reviews, so I reluctantly gave it a go and hoped to be pleasantly surprised.

"Turbo" is about Theo, a garden snail obsessed about car racing and being fast. He accidentally ingests nitrous oxide and develops amazing race car powers. A luckless taco shop owner Tito picks Theo up for his hobby of racing snails, and discovers Theo's incredible speedy abilities. Eventually, Theo (now re-named Turbo) actually qualifies to race against his racing idol, the five-time champion Guy Gagne, in the Indianapolis 500. Can this phenomenal little snail now finally fulfill his dream of winning a big league car race?

The topic of car racing had already been tackled very well in Pixar's "Cars". If "Cars" was for kids, "Turbo" is targeted for even younger kids. More than just the car racing, the side story about the deserted mini-mall in Van Nuys, California where Tito's taco shop is located, was also obviously inspired by the town of Radiator Springs in "Cars."

The scene showing how Theo got his powers, with the nerve axons and red blood cells being revitalized with nitrous oxide, was straight out of "Spider- Man".

I did not really get the whole snails working together to gather tomatoes thing. It might have worked in "Bug's Life", but I did not know snails ever worked like ants. I could imagine how encountering a huge army of snails in a small tomato patch like that would probably look pretty scary in real life.

On the positive side, "Turbo" manages to tell a good story about brotherly support in the parallel stories of Theo and his brother Chet, and Tito and his brother Anton. One brother is the whimsical dreamer, while the other is the more grounded practical one. They may see things differently, but in the end, brotherly love would prevail.

Of course, the showcase of the whole film is still the big race. The execution of the race sequence was thrilling and exciting, especially the final laps. While the climactic moment in "Cars" is still better, but this one in "Turbo" still manages to hold its own with its unique charm.

As a whole though, I found the film's pace leading to the climactic race quite slow for a movie about speed. I was disappointed about how the Guy Gagne character was developed as a stereotype, when it could have been more original. The voice work was by big stars like Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti and Samuel L. Jackson. They were all okay, but nothing really distinct and memorable stood out.

Kids will surely enjoy this cute little film delightful. Parents will just have to summon their inner child out in order to enjoy it with them.

"Turbo" may not be the most original or inventive animated film ever but it's a good time and pretty fun. The story is pretty simple and one that a little child can imagine. But the way it delivers the story is gorgeous. It has lovable characters and sense of humor.

Theo (who prefers to be called Turbo) is a garden snail who lives as an outsider among his snail community. His dream of becoming the Indianapolis 500 champion makes him an outcast and his obsession with speed brings embarrassment to his brother, Chet. However, after an unexpected accident, Theo is granted incredible speed and also inherits some characteristics of an actual car (headlights, radio).

He is then taken by a chubby guy named Tito. Tito and his brother Angelo own a taco shop that is struggling. The other tenants in the area are also facing the same problem. Tito has this idea of registering Turbo into the Indy 500 in order to help his business prosper. And there are also other snails who become Turbo's buddies.

"Turbo" may not have as much depth as some of the animated masterpieces. But "Turbo" doesn't aim in being that. It wants to become a fun-filled adventure about a freaking-fast snail racing in the midst of an array of monstrous cars. And it doesn't disappoint. It's enjoyable, slick and plenty of fun.

The characters are likable too. Turbo is ambitious, funny, and adventurous. All the qualities of a fun character are embodied in him. Chet, his brother, is caring and more cautious but is also adorable in some moments. The other snails are also plenty of fun due to their ridiculous antics. Besides the mollusks, we also have the human characters. Tito, with his large build, is extremely chubby and funny. Tito's other friends are also a joy to watch.

"Turbo" also has a great sense of humor. I had a blast watching this film. Not all the jokes work, but most of them do. But I do want to mention that there's a joke concerning crows snatching one snail at a time, and to me it seems a bit extreme because the idea of a snail being eaten by a crow is kinda creepy, don't you think? Or maybe it's just me. But the bottom line is "Turbo" is plenty of fun to watch.

The animation is not the best I've seen but it's pretty good. It possesses beautiful sets and the colors are fluorescent. The voice cast was excellent too and Ryan Reynolds did a great job lending his voice to Turbo.

"Turbo" is a fun and rollicking adventure and it is plenty of joy to watch these lovable characters see what they're up to. Just don't expect too much from it and don't expect it to be a masterpiece.

Rating: 7/10

Final Verdict: It may not be original but "Turbo" is a hell of a roller-coaster ride that will provide plenty of joy and laughs with its lovable characters.

I was lucky to see Turbo at a preview today, and had a great time. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say that I greatly enjoyed the movie. The plot's cute, the characters amusing, and there are some hilarious one liners. (As well as a few somewhat more risqué jokes for the adults, although they'll fly over most kids' heads.)

It's not going to rival Pixar at their best, but it's a lot of fun. I will say, though, that this isn't a film I'd bother with 3D for. It takes a back seat, and is little more than a gimmick. You won't be missing anything at all to watch in 2D.

But other than that, heartily recommended!

Everyone loves an underdog story. They are done so much in film, and it's such a common notion that the line is even spoken in the new Dreamworks film "Turbo". The best part in this instance though is, unlike other movies, it's genuine. You feel for this animated snail and his new friend a part owner of a taco shop. Both have dreams and do all they can to make them come true, even when their own family doesn't believe in them. The second best part is that it's fun for the entire family and could very well be the best animated film of the year.

Theo is a snail who wants to be fast, much like Tom Hanks wanted to be Big and Rocky wanted to be champion. After a freak accident of Spider- Man proportions, he gets his chance to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Along the way he finds a friend and fellow dreamer he never actually speaks with in Tito (Michael Peña). Together they both reach for the impossible dreams that live in us all. The filmmakers of "Turbo" use both wish fulfillment and the belief on oneself to tell a familiar story with most of the troupes we've seen before. What sells it here is voice actors ranging from the comedic Ryan Reynolds as Turbo, to the dramatic Paul Giamatti as his brother Chet. In between you have actors that have a foot in both dramatic works as well as comedy, like Luis Guzmàn, Maya Rudolph, Michelle Rodriguez, Richard Jenkins, and Samuel L. Jackson. It also tells its story with a singular goal in mind and still manages to have fun with sight gags, great one-liners, and involvement of the supporting cast.

My kids loved this film as did I, every year we get so many sequels there's quite a few this summer alone, and it's always refreshing to see a movie with the originality and the bravery to take a chance on a story that could have been a bad rip-off of Rocky, but instead reminded me of it in that good way. So go see "Turbo" this weekend, Adam Sandler and his pals have enough of our money, give it to real grown-ups who know how to make really enjoyable films like "Turbo".

--Robert L. Castillo

http://the2cinemen.blogspot.com/