The Film
It's funny how the racing film Rush was sort of a blip in theaters. It stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor!), with Ron Howard behind the camera. It also has a ton of action. Sure, the film received plenty of awards' buzz (no Oscar noms, though), but couldn't manage to really rev up movie audiences.
It made decent money, but it didn't make Ron Howard money. That probably has a lot to do with the film's release date, which landed it in the number three spot behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Prisoners. Gravity came the following weekend and soon, Rush was history.
Also, Rush is a sports film, but not your typical sports film. It's a Ron Howard sports film. So while it does have plenty of racing action, it's more about the drivers and what goes on in between events. More specifically, Rush is about the rivalry between two Formula One racers during the 1976 season. James Hunt (Hemsworth) is a British playboy, with Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) taking a very technical approach to his career.
While some may find F1 to be a snoozefest, Howard has a knack for making you care about these characters. And as you probably already imagined, this particular season was quite an eventful one, which makes the film even more interesting.
Something else worth noting is that Rush was made for a pretty low budget. According to Wikipedia, the price tag was around $38 million, although Variety.com has said it was closer to $50 million. Either way, it's pretty low when you consider the talent, the cars and the aforementioned racing scenes. It's also kind of insane when you think about how Universal spent $70 million on Howard's 2011 Vince Vaughn/Kevin James goof-fest, The Dilemma. That fact, combined with what Howard and the rest of the filmmakers have achieved with the story and the performances (mostly from the two leads), are what puts the film well above the typical car-fueled movie. Rush is a real must-see.
Get ready to ride shotgun with another reviewer? Check out David Kempler's theatrical review of Rush.
The Picture
Rush doesn't have a super-polished look to it, which is completely intentional. The film tones down its color palette to depict the mid-'70s time period. The end result is a really nice viewing experience. Now, just because some of those colors are a bit subdued, it doesn't mean that the 2.40:1 image is lacking detail. There are certainly some soft moments, but for the most part, Rush is pretty sharp. The racing scenes in particular are a real thrill. The angles on those scenes have a real 3D quality to them, like some type of debris or maybe even a tire is going to come flying out of the TV.
The Sound
The film is very dialogue-heavy, but let's not forget that Rush is about Formula One racing, so you can expect a pretty active audio track. The crowd cheers, Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is emotional and eventful, and cars go whipping through the soundfield with enough force to make you jump. All of that combined makes this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix a standout portion of the Blu-ray.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
If you're expecting another fast-car action flick, you probably won't get too much of a rush from Rush. It definitely has some great racing moments, but the film is really more about what goes on behind the wheel. Sports and the fact that the two main characters aren't household names (unless you're into F1) probably kept audiences from flocking to the theater. That's a real shame. However, the story, a fun AV presentation, and an interesting collection of extras should have you speeding to the store to pick this one up.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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