Review: Turbo

Release date: July 17, 2013
Running time: 96 minutes
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph, Michael Peña, Snoop Dogg
Who to see it with: The kid in your life!

David:

Turbo is the latest animated movie from Dreamworks Animation, the studio that brought you Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. It tells the preposterous, but enjoyable, story of a snail who gains superspeed because of a freak accident. The whole transformation part of the movie is pretty ridiculous, but it's forgivable because everything else about the movie is awesome! The animation is beautiful, especially the lighting effects. The movie is mostly set in Southern California and Dreamworks ensured that the SoCal night sky was filled with the lights of a vibrant city  (side note, they also hit many little Southern California touches, like when a character refers to a freeway as "the 101"). The animators did a wonderful job with the snails; each one is subtly different with imaginative and beautifully colored bodies and shells. And, given Turbo's main focus, the races are understandably a joy to watch, with little touches like debris on the racetrack and a scene where the screen is filled with confetti being especially eye-pleasing.

Helping the beautiful animation is some great sound. The racing scenes are especially pleasing to hear, with the screams of engines passing you left and right. The voice acting is also wonderful. Ryan Reynolds and Paul Giamatti make a great pair as snail brothers. The rest of the cast is likable,  especially Samuel L. Jackson and Snoop Dogg as a couple of snails Turbo meets after becoming super fast. With a movie focused on entertaining kids, there is always a fear that the adult viewers will be an afterthought. Luckily, Turbo has plenty of enjoyable little touches that provide random laughs and will keep you entertained. The story has a nice, constant movement that doesn't slow down or make pit stops. And, most importantly, the lessons from the movie are good ones for both young and old. Turbo teaches its viewers to never give up on your dreams, no matter how unreachable they may seem. It's a good lesson for kids and adults to take home!

See it.

3D Note - The 3D is well done. Didn't really jump out at you but added some nice depth to the driving and racing scenes.