Turbo

I was lucky to see Turbo at a preview today, and had a great time. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say that I greatly enjoyed the movie. The plot's cute, the characters amusing, and there are some hilarious one liners. (As well as a few somewhat more risqué jokes for the adults, although they'll fly over most kids' heads.)

It's not going to rival Pixar at their best, but it's a lot of fun. I will say, though, that this isn't a film I'd bother with 3D for. It takes a back seat, and is little more than a gimmick. You won't be missing anything at all to watch in 2D.

But other than that, heartily recommended!

As good as Pixar is making animated movies, the best counterpart is ,without no doubt, Dreamworks. And this guys bring this time a nice movie where they show how much are improving their works and how close they are getting their stuff to Pixar quality. Said that, this movie is a solid piece of work. Is entertained, heart warming but most important is very exciting. The pace of the movie is fast in a very good way. This are not the kind of movie to see looking for logic or anything like that. This is just about fun, about a product that give a moment of truly entertainment. As limited as the space in this plot idea could be, is remarkable how much emotion they can put in the movie. Very few times you see the crowd giving so much support to a screen character and this is what this little Turbo get, the whole audience loving him. I see Monster U and Despicable Me too but i believe that Turbo has more emotion than the other two and considering how good that ones are you will get a lovely speedy fun in your eyes.

Here it is, a snail receives super speed, hence the name of the film being "Turbo." What the film makes me think of when I see it is a combination of Disney's "A Bug's Life" and "Cars". It is a great movie to take the 4-9 year old kids to see.

As an adult, it is great to see Ryan Reynolds taking a voice-over part in a family friendly film. However, I could have lived to watch it without many of the other actors. Paul Giamatti and Samuel L. Jackson are in so many different films these days, their voices are tiring.

A nice change of pace for Dream Works after seeing three "Madagascar" films and four "Shrek" movies. I was Shrekked out! That's why I gave this fresh film from DW Pictures a 9/10.

"Turbo" may not be the most original or inventive animated film ever but it's a good time and pretty fun. The story is pretty simple and one that a little child can imagine. But the way it delivers the story is gorgeous. It has lovable characters and sense of humor.

Theo (who prefers to be called Turbo) is a garden snail who lives as an outsider among his snail community. His dream of becoming the Indianapolis 500 champion makes him an outcast and his obsession with speed brings embarrassment to his brother, Chet. However, after an unexpected accident, Theo is granted incredible speed and also inherits some characteristics of an actual car (headlights, radio).

He is then taken by a chubby guy named Tito. Tito and his brother Angelo own a taco shop that is struggling. The other tenants in the area are also facing the same problem. Tito has this idea of registering Turbo into the Indy 500 in order to help his business prosper. And there are also other snails who become Turbo's buddies.

"Turbo" may not have as much depth as some of the animated masterpieces. But "Turbo" doesn't aim in being that. It wants to become a fun-filled adventure about a freaking-fast snail racing in the midst of an array of monstrous cars. And it doesn't disappoint. It's enjoyable, slick and plenty of fun.

The characters are likable too. Turbo is ambitious, funny, and adventurous. All the qualities of a fun character are embodied in him. Chet, his brother, is caring and more cautious but is also adorable in some moments. The other snails are also plenty of fun due to their ridiculous antics. Besides the mollusks, we also have the human characters. Tito, with his large build, is extremely chubby and funny. Tito's other friends are also a joy to watch.

"Turbo" also has a great sense of humor. I had a blast watching this film. Not all the jokes work, but most of them do. But I do want to mention that there's a joke concerning crows snatching one snail at a time, and to me it seems a bit extreme because the idea of a snail being eaten by a crow is kinda creepy, don't you think? Or maybe it's just me. But the bottom line is "Turbo" is plenty of fun to watch.

The animation is not the best I've seen but it's pretty good. It possesses beautiful sets and the colors are fluorescent. The voice cast was excellent too and Ryan Reynolds did a great job lending his voice to Turbo.

"Turbo" is a fun and rollicking adventure and it is plenty of joy to watch these lovable characters see what they're up to. Just don't expect too much from it and don't expect it to be a masterpiece.

Rating: 7/10

Final Verdict: It may not be original but "Turbo" is a hell of a roller-coaster ride that will provide plenty of joy and laughs with its lovable characters.

In Los Angeles, the garden snail Theo dreams on being the fastest racer in car races and worships his idol, the champion Guy Gagné, who has won the Indianapolis 500 several times. His brother Chet protects him most of the time from daring situations caused by Theo. When Chet rescues Theo from a failed attempt of recovering a prize tomato, Theo leaves the garden feeling humiliated. Soon he is accidentally sucked by the supercharger of a racing car and he drowns in the nitrous oxide injected to speed up the car. On the next morning, Theo finds that he has achieved speed power. When a crow picks Chet from the garden, Theo pursues them and rescues his brother. However they are captured the taco truck driver Tito and brought to a snail race. When Tito sees the performance of Theo, a.k.a. Turbo, in a race with the other snails, he decides to enter Turbo in Indianapolis, despite the disagreement of his brother Angelo. But his neighbors share the entrance expenses and they head to Indianapolis. Who will win the Indy 500?

"Turbo" is a silly and funny animation, with a snail that competes the Indianapolis 500 promoted by a Mexican young man. The plot is refreshing and creative and makes laugh in many situations. Guess who wins the Indy 500? My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Turbo"