Turbo

          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