Gran Turismo Races Towards A Mediocre Debut - What Rotten Tomatoes Critics Are Saying

Hollywood has gotten much better at bringing video games to the screen in recent years. PlayStation Productions has been key to that success, too, with the studio's "The Last of Us" series for HBO gaining heaps of critical acclaim. Sadly, its latest adaptation, "Gran Turismo," hasn't been enjoying the same amount of love and positive feedback thus far. That said, the reviews haven't been overwhelmingly negative, either.

Neill Blomkamp's blockbuster centers around a teenage "Gran Turismo" player whose mastery of the games leads to him becoming a legitimate racecar driver. The film's promotional campaign claims that "Gran Turismo" is based on a true story, but that sense of realism hasn't impressed some critics. In fact, some of the naysayers believe that the movie lacks the fundamental humanity that informs stories inspired by real people.

As of this writing, "Gran Turismo" has a 58 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, revealing that the general critical response to the film has been mixed. With that in mind, let's see what the reviewers are saying about Blomkamp's latest flick before it races into theaters on August 25.

If the reviews are anything to go by, "Gran Turismo" won't go down in history as one of cinema's greatest racing flicks. However, some of the positive reactions note that it's an admirable effort and wholly enjoyable. This is the view of The Hollywood Reporter's Justin Lowe, who wrote, "Not a world champion, but clearly a contender."

Elsewhere, The Wrap's Kristen Lopez praised the film for not leaning too heavily into its video game DNA. "Gran Turismo" works best because it eschews its video game origins quickly before settling into a standard race car film," she wrote.

On the flip side, some critics believe that "Gran Turismo" lacks depth and emotional gravitas, and is a prime example of Hollywood's worst consumerist sensibilities. As Empire Magazine's John Nugent wrote, "Despite some warm performances, it's very hard to ignore the feeling that this is largely just two hours of product placement."

Meanwhile, The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey recommends that audiences skip this one and play the games instead. "Nothing here feels real or tangible. You could argue that makes for a better recreation of the game –- but then why bother heading to the cinema when you simply could stay home and hop on a controller?"