OVERVIEW: This summer, own the year’s ultimate thrill ride when Need for Speed races home on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, DVD and On-Demand August 5th, 2014, from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Based on the best-selling video game series, this action-packed movie drives non-stop excitement into your home in various home entertainment models, each tricked out with never-before-seen bonus features you won’t want to miss!

Buckle up with star Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Dakota Johnson and Michael Keaton in this high-speed tale about an underground driver (Paul) who sets off on a race for revenge against the wealthy ex-NASCAR driver (Cooper) who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Delivering real speed, real danger and real action, this turbo-charged thriller explodes on screen on Blu-ray and Digital HD with spectacular high definition picture and sound!

Then, experience first-hand what it took to make this breakthrough action hit with a series of revealing featurettes. First, go behind the wheel for an up-close look at what it took to capture the movie’s intense car stunts on camera with “Capturing Speed: Making An Authentic Car Movie”; next, meet the Gilbert family, four generations of professional stuntmen, who turned the Mustang hero car’s astonishing “grasshopper” jump over four lanes of traffic into a family affair in “Ties that Bind”; then, experience the Need For Speed traveling road show as the movie films from one end of the country to the other in “The Circus is in Town”; finally, discover how the movie’s stunning soundscape helps put the audience in the driver’s seat by recording “car bys,” accelerations, donuts, skids—and the "gnarly" signature sound of the hero Mustang - in “The Sound Of Need For Speed.”

Additional must-own bonus features on Blu-ray include an audio commentary with director Scott Waugh and Aaron Paul; Monarch & Maverick outtakes featuring stars Michael Keaton and Scott Mescudi cutting loose; 4 deleted scenes with introductions by director Scott Waugh; trailers, and more!

SYNOPSIS: Based on the most successful racing video game franchise ever with over 140 million copies sold, DreamWorks Pictures’ Need for Speed captures the thrills of the game in a real-world setting. An exciting return to the great car-culture films of the 1960s and ‘70s, when authenticity brought a new level of intensity to the action, Need for Speed taps into what makes the American myth of the open road so enticing.

The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country race against time — one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption. In a last attempt to save his struggling garage, blue-collar mechanic Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) — who with his team skillfully builds and races muscle cars on the side — reluctantly partners with wealthy, arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). Just as a major sale to a car broker Julia Bonet (Imogen Poot) looks like it will save the business, a disastrous, unsanctioned race results in Dino framing Tobey for manslaughter.

Two years later and fresh out of prison, Tobey is set on revenge with plans to take down Dino in the high-stakes De Leon race — the Super Bowl of underground racing. To get there in time, Tobey must run a high-octane, action-packed gauntlet, dodging cops coast-to-coast and dealing with fallout from a dangerous bounty Dino put on his car. With his loyal crew and the surprisingly resourceful Julia as allies, Tobey defies odds at every turn and proves that even in the flashy world of exotic supercars, the underdog can still finish first.

FILM REVIEW: From Director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor, 2012) and Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul with co-stars British born actress Imogen Gay Poots (That Awkward Moment, 2012), Michael Keaton (RoboCop, 2014) and Kid Cudi (Maniac, 2011); they bring us this action packed adaptation of the well-known and long-running racing videogame series. The trailers have been pretty awesome; however, I was cautiously looking forward to the full length movie. And like most, I think the main worry was whether the trailers, which feature some relatively serious exotic performance cars, would basically be the only scenes featuring those cars. Also what is the big white elephant in the room here is that one cannot look at any car movie without comparing it to the Fast & Furious franchise. So, I was concerned that Need for Speed would only show the exotics for the same amount of time that F&F featured the GTR, Koenigsegg, FXX, and other exotics. Surprisingly enough, this latest release really keeps the rare cars around throughout the entire 130 minute playtime of the movie. And as a car enthusiast, I have to say that these look great and oh so awesomely expensive. Certainly most enthusiasts, like I will enjoy seeing them crash and burn because watching $160,000+ automobiles be destroyed can make anybodys day that much better; not to mention drool over them as well.

Nicely inserted in the action is Saleen Automotive, Inc., the American specialty manufacturer of high performance vehicles, technical performance parts, lifestyle accessories and apparel. They seem to be onboard here with both feet in (so to speak), which was quite pleasing if you are an American muscle car fan (especially a Ford Mustang fan).

Needless to say, the acting will win no awards here and will quite possibly draw a ton of criticism, Im sure. The plot is certainly not the greatest in the world and the movie really is a bit too predictable, for my taste. But then again so were the early releases of the F&F franchise series. They too stumbled quite a bit with the same shortcomings, though they shot to worldwide fame. If you are looking for a good plot and great acting, my advice would be to go find some other action movie to watch. It seems that none of those elements were meant to be front and center here. Exotic cars, exotic women and spectacular car chases is where its at here. This movie seems to be for people who care more about the Sesto Elemento (car) and the actual videogame, rather than an interesting plot twist and narrative. Needless to say, I wasnt expecting much when it came to the plot progression and star-power. 

The bottom line is that I had low expectations, but loved the exotic cars, the outstanding chase scenes, the wicked Drifting, and the police cruisers flying off the roads left right and center. Given all considerations, the racing scenes and car selection are unmatched and definitely more than enough reason for car-crazy fans and gaming enthusiast alike, to enjoy it. Four out of five stars are reasonable here and I definitely recommend checking this movie out in the theaters to truly indulge in the sounds and rhythms of this flick. If not possibly, then a simple DVD rental will certainly suffice. 

BLU-RAY: The film is presented in widescreen in a 2.39:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 7.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English, French  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.39:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles - English, Latin Spanish, French-Canadian, English DVS/English, Latin Spanish, French-Canadian

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Blu-ray™ disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring perfect hi-def picture and hi-def sound. 

DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away. 

Digital Copy provides consumers with a choice of formats from a variety of partners, including options to watch on iPhone®,
iPad®, Android, computers and more.

UltraViolet™ is the revolutionary way for consumers to collect their movies and TV shows in the cloud. UltraViolet™ lets
consumers instantly stream and download to tablets, smartphones, computers and TVs. Now available in both the United States
and Canada.

Capturing Speed: Making An Authentic Car Movie

Ties That Bind

The Circus Is In Town

Feature Audio Commentary with Director Scott Waugh and Aaron Paul**

Monarch & Maverick Outtakes with Introduction by Director Scott Waugh

4 Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Director Scott Waugh

The Sound Of Need For Speed

“B-Camera” - Crash Compilation with introduction by Director Scott Waugh (Easter Egg)

Need For Speed™ Rivals Trailer