Parents' Guide to

Gran Turismo

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Intense crashes in exhilarating game-based racing flick.

Movie PG-13 2023 135 minutes
Gran Turismo Movie Poster: David Harbour, Archie Madekwe, and Orlando Bloom stand around a race car

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

video game franchise</a>, the movie doubles as an ad for the game, and the story acknowledges that the creation of the GT Academy was a marketing stunt. And, true to professional racing, brand names are seen everywhere, particularly those associated with cars (such as Michelin) and alcohol (Moet-Chandon in particular). Expensive sports cars like Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren are treated with high esteem; Porsche gets so much positive attention that it's likely product placement. The most mentioned brand is Nissan, the car company sponsoring the GT Academy.</p> ">

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Zack K.
Zack K. Parent of 7 and 9-year-old
August 13, 2023
age 10+

Gran Turismo high speed fun!

Gran Turismo is a good underdog sports movie, based on the life of Jann Mardenborough. A gamer turned racer who went against his parents wishes to chase his dream. It’s a good movie to take the family to. Younger kids may be scared in a certain scene, but my 7 and 9 year old loved the movie. You know your kids best so you’ll have to make the call. The “romance” in the movie is two teenagers kissing and the action sequences can be intense.
burkeman
burkeman Parent of 14-year-old
August 25, 2023
age 12+

A Great Racing Movie

It's a great film full of fantastic driving and the right amount of drama. It is a story that shows how dreams can come true.
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Avid gamer Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) dreams of driving real race cars. His fantasy moves into reality when he takes first place in a Gran Turismo game tournament. Motorsport marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) designed the competition to find the best couch-surfing gamers from around the world and turn them into top-ranking professional race car drivers. Unfortunately, that's a feat that GT Academy racing coach (David Harbour) doubts is possible.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (13 ):

A fist pump of aspiration, this fact-based biopic does laps around other sports movies -- at least, it will for teens who connect with the gaming aspect. Director Neill Blomkamp's fans know that he's a master at elevating emotions, and in Gran Turismo, he delivers plenty -- including hope, disappointment, fluttery feelings of love, devastation, anticipation, trepidation, and the euphoria of unlikely success. What's more, leaning into the movie's gaming roots, he allows you to feel the experience as if it's happening to you.

Some of that experience -- just like watching a Formula One race in real life -- can occasionally drag (especially in the middle), but it's all a vital part of the process: The only way to get to the phenomenal, exciting ending is for the wheels to ride across every bit of road to get there. Jann encounters some serious real-life adversity that's likely to put the brakes on kids thinking of following his career path. (Parents may find themselves relating more to Jann's father, Steve, played by Djimon Hounsou, who's frustrated that his son spends all his time gaming and rides him to get a job.) But Jann's difficulties make the finish a knuckle-gnawer, fueled by a surge of adrenaline. You'll likely end the film feeling completely pumped, wondering what impossibility you can accomplish. Just wait to look up Jann's full story until a few days later, as some elements are fictionalized for the film.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Gran Turismo compares to other sports movies you've seen. How true do you think it is to what happened in real life? Why might filmmakers decide to change the facts in movies based on true stories?

  • How can video game skills be adapted for use in the real world? Are there any games that have led you to pursue the game's activity offline?

  • How does Jann demonstrate perseverance, humility, and gratitude? How does Jack Salton demonstrate integrity? Why are these important character strengths?

  • Could Jann have succeeded without Jack? Could Jack have coached another gamer to the same level of success? Describe what worked for these two and why teamwork is a vital life skill.

  • What's your "impossible" dream? What would it take to make it real?

Movie Details

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