Susan Granger’s review of “DRIVEN” (Warner Bros.)
“Winning’s an attitude…You gotta ask yourself if the pleasure is worth the pain…There’s no helmet big enough to hold that head”…”If he doesn’t deliver the next time out, he goes”…”You’d better win this thing or you’re gonna look like a damn fool!”… these are just a few of the many clichŽs that signal the checkered flag on this fast-paced auto-racing picture. Written by Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”) and directed by Renny Harlin (“Cliffhanger”), “Driven” revolves around Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue), an Indy rookie who’s come too far too fast and is terrified of failing, primarily because he’s been pushed too hard by his promoter brother (Robert Sean Leonard). His main competitor is the German world champion, (Til Schweiger) who breaks up with his sweetie (Estella Warren) whom Bly immediately pursues. “I’m not looking to get involved,” she tells him but, predictably, he doesn’t listen. The team owner (Burt Reynolds – with his best toupee in years), confined to a wheelchair but empowered by a near-death driving experience, summons a former racing star, Joe Tanto (Sylvester Stallone), who impresses Bly with a track trick involving three coins and soon becomes his mentor. But it gets more complicated when an inquiring reporter (Stacey Edwards) shows up, along with Tanto’s sexy, manipulative ex-wife (Gina Gershon) and her new husband (Cristian de la Fuente). “He’s a younger, better you,” she taunts. The explosions, crashes and driving stunts are impressive, as is the open-wheel racing cinematography, except for several cheesy CGI-type shots, particularly one involving a tire gone awry. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Driven” skids in with a 4, as the engines rev and roar. It’s also quite deafening, including the blatant electronic score by BT (Brian Transeau).
