10 Recent Movies NOBODY Expected To Be Good

Though Hollywood has certainly been showing video games greater respect in recent years, the likelihood of anyone producing a worthwhile adaptation of the Gran Turismo franchise was still meagre at best.

Then when the film was announced to be based on the true story of a teenage Gran Turismo player who became a pro racer for real, and the directing reins were given to Neill Blomkamp of all folk, it was tough to expect anything above mere mediocrity.

But fair play to Blomkamp - the man took the assignment seriously and in turn delivered a surprisingly engaging, visually breathtaking sports flick elevated by the efforts of a strong cast.

Archie Madekwe makes for a supremely likeable lead, though the show is categorically stolen by David Harbour, whose impressively committed performance as the GT Academy's head trainer Jack Salter keeps the pic chugging along through even its more predictable phases.

You certainly know where the story's going, yet for as goofy as the premise of a gamer becoming a real-life racer sounds on paper, Blomkamp and his cast manage to keep it tethered firmly to the ground.