Born to Race: Fast Track Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Born to Race: Fast Track Blu-ray Movie Review

'Top Gun' Grounded.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 9, 2014

Danny Krueger (Brett Davern) was born to race. He comes from a racing background and is about to realize his dream when he's granted a scholarship to study at a prestigious racing academy. There, he meets an eclectic group of competitive drivers, including the dangerous but talented Italian brothers, Enzo (Diogo Morgado) and Paulo (Alberto Frezza) Lauricello. The students are required to race in pairs, and their final grade is dependent upon their ability to cooperate and score highly as a unit. When Danny's boisterous Texas partner is injured and unable to perform, he's paired up with an old rival named Jake Kendall (Beau Mirchoff) that will prove the ultimate test of his ability to race with his skills rather than his heart. Meanwhile, Danny struggles to maintain his relationship with an aspiring Ivy League-bound girlfriend named Jess (Nicole Badaan) while dealing with the advances of a fellow student racer named Michelle (Tiffany Dupont).

Cruisin'

Born to Race: Fast Track couldn't be more Top Gun if it tried. The comparisons are uncanny, whether in the classroom or out on the race track. Yet it's a fun little movie, a quality Racing film that might be slathered in character and story cliché but that still remains a serviceable genre experience thanks to a good pacing and quality acting that builds up the generic but nevertheless effective character interactions and rivalries. The characterization tightens up nicely in the third act, particularly in a surprisingly effective scene between Danny and his father in a mechanic's shop. The racing sequences are fun and, even as the end comes predictably, it will likely leave a smile on the face, which is all one can really hope for with a movie like this.

Born to Race: Fast Track Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Born to Race: Fast Track pulls onto Blu-ray with a proficient, good-looking 1080p transfer. The presentation displays bright, cheerful colors that are evident throughout, with the blue sky and multicolored vehicles contrasting nicely against the surrounding desert landscape. Details are strong and sharp; everything from cars to race uniforms, from pavement to sandy terrains looks terrific. Black levels satisfy and flesh tones appear normal. Viewers may note a bit of aliasing on several shots, predominantly in overhead views of the racetrack.

Born to Race: Fast Track Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Born to Race: Fast Track zooms onto Blu-ray with an exciting Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music energetically spills into the stage throughout the movie, enjoying natural clarity, a fine front end presence, and an enveloping surround element. Likewise, cars zip past, motors rumble, and the general sounds of competitive driving, both in practice and in several races, put listeners in the middle of the mayhem. Dialogue delivery is crisp and accurately delivered from the center channel speaker.

Born to Race: Fast Track Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included is a featurette entitled Fast Track: Behind the Scenes (1080i, 7:29).

Born to Race: Fast Track Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Born to Race: Fast Track is a fun, albeit straightforward, Racing film that genre fans should enjoy. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray delivers quality video, strong audio, and a featurette. Recommended.