I went to see the racing move based on the book Go Like Hell.
I am always disappointed with car movies. Ford v Ferrari was much better than most but it still had the same problems that always bug me.
They did a great job of showing the human drama that went along with the story. But they totally skipped over the drama of developing the GT40. We skipped from a discussion in a diner to taking the TWA wrap off the built car at the airport.
The only nod to Lola was the model kit on the shelf in Pete’s room. There was a brief mention of a small English firm at the Mustang reveal.
There was no mention of how Henry Ford II chose to have two or three ways to win by having NASCAR team Holman Moody develop the car in parallel and compete against Shelby. They do show the other cars but it is never clear who they are.
The story seems to be about Shelby and Miles. They do a good job portraying Miles the way I imagine him. Miles personifies what one of my racing mentors said;” Races are won in the shop and proven on the track.” He pushed the absolute limits of technology and the rules to make the car as fast and reliable as possible. He was not just a great driver, but an engineer and mechanic as well.
The racing action was well filmed. I give them credit for using real cars and not CGA. But the typical movie drama of drivers talking to one another from car to car and odd passes still bugs me.
In real racing, the pass is set up in the corner before and completed on the next straight or leading into the next corner. The driver doesn’t suddenly realize he is not mashing the gas pedal all the way down or suddenly find another gear he had forgotten about. But we see this in all car movies.
The closest version of setting up a real pass was when Shelby was saying wait for it as Miles drafted behind for a slingshot pass. Still, the visual did not match what would really happen as the following car would use the air stream form the leader to gain speed and then carry that speed as a pass under breaking into the next corner. I think Mile leaving the track to make a pass might have been more grounds for a disqualification than the luggage capacity issue.
And I have no idea why there was a stall indicator on the dash of the GT40. I think that is something airplanes have, not race cars.
But the trunk modification scene was very entertaining. It also showed Miles’s character very clearly and helped us understand his action in later scenes. And, of course, the wrench throwing helps set up the final feel-good scene in the movie.
I recognized Road Atlanta as a stand-in for Lemans. I saw turn twelve from the bridge down. The only trouble is at Lemans the track turn left after the bridge while Road Atlanta turns right. It also looked like turns 6 and 7 at Road Atlanta were used. But maybe in reverse.
The Mulsanne straight famous for its line of poplar trees with their trunks painted white was simulated by a county road in Georgia. Pine trees had to do.
I don’t know where the Daytona scenes were filmed but that was definitely not Daytona. Turn one into the infield was not right at all.
I guess the scene at the airport where Miles talks to his son about the perfect lap was a nod to Sebring, but I was not clear in where they were supposed to be in that scene. It looked like Shelby’s airport test track but since Sebring was run on a runway maybe it was supposed to play double duty.
I was disappointed that the movie leaves out the tire drama that was part of the 1966 Lemans win. But they did accurately show how Miles was cheated at the finish. I wondered how they were going to do that, and they handled it well.
Also they really just glossed over the engine development and the problems with heh 1965 car that lead to the loss. I was really surprised the never even mentioned Henry Ford’s famous “ you better win” note.
Overall this movie was pretty good for a modern car movie. The camera work was great except for the annoying lack of focus when I was trying to look at the details in the background. The car sounds seemed spot on. The acting was very good.
I was also disappointed with the crowd. I didn’t see any cool cars in the parking lot. In fact, there was only a handful of people in the theater at all.
According to the news, the movie is doing very well. I hope it does. Young men need more role models like Shelby, Miles Iacocca, and Ford. I look forward to seeing it again when it comes out on video.
For the full story read the book:
I am always disappointed with car movies. Ford v Ferrari was much better than most but it still had the same problems that always bug me.
They did a great job of showing the human drama that went along with the story. But they totally skipped over the drama of developing the GT40. We skipped from a discussion in a diner to taking the TWA wrap off the built car at the airport.
The only nod to Lola was the model kit on the shelf in Pete’s room. There was a brief mention of a small English firm at the Mustang reveal.
There was no mention of how Henry Ford II chose to have two or three ways to win by having NASCAR team Holman Moody develop the car in parallel and compete against Shelby. They do show the other cars but it is never clear who they are.
The story seems to be about Shelby and Miles. They do a good job portraying Miles the way I imagine him. Miles personifies what one of my racing mentors said;” Races are won in the shop and proven on the track.” He pushed the absolute limits of technology and the rules to make the car as fast and reliable as possible. He was not just a great driver, but an engineer and mechanic as well.
The racing action was well filmed. I give them credit for using real cars and not CGA. But the typical movie drama of drivers talking to one another from car to car and odd passes still bugs me.
In real racing, the pass is set up in the corner before and completed on the next straight or leading into the next corner. The driver doesn’t suddenly realize he is not mashing the gas pedal all the way down or suddenly find another gear he had forgotten about. But we see this in all car movies.
The closest version of setting up a real pass was when Shelby was saying wait for it as Miles drafted behind for a slingshot pass. Still, the visual did not match what would really happen as the following car would use the air stream form the leader to gain speed and then carry that speed as a pass under breaking into the next corner. I think Mile leaving the track to make a pass might have been more grounds for a disqualification than the luggage capacity issue.
And I have no idea why there was a stall indicator on the dash of the GT40. I think that is something airplanes have, not race cars.
But the trunk modification scene was very entertaining. It also showed Miles’s character very clearly and helped us understand his action in later scenes. And, of course, the wrench throwing helps set up the final feel-good scene in the movie.
I recognized Road Atlanta as a stand-in for Lemans. I saw turn twelve from the bridge down. The only trouble is at Lemans the track turn left after the bridge while Road Atlanta turns right. It also looked like turns 6 and 7 at Road Atlanta were used. But maybe in reverse.
The Mulsanne straight famous for its line of poplar trees with their trunks painted white was simulated by a county road in Georgia. Pine trees had to do.
I don’t know where the Daytona scenes were filmed but that was definitely not Daytona. Turn one into the infield was not right at all.
I guess the scene at the airport where Miles talks to his son about the perfect lap was a nod to Sebring, but I was not clear in where they were supposed to be in that scene. It looked like Shelby’s airport test track but since Sebring was run on a runway maybe it was supposed to play double duty.
I was disappointed that the movie leaves out the tire drama that was part of the 1966 Lemans win. But they did accurately show how Miles was cheated at the finish. I wondered how they were going to do that, and they handled it well.
Also they really just glossed over the engine development and the problems with heh 1965 car that lead to the loss. I was really surprised the never even mentioned Henry Ford’s famous “ you better win” note.
Overall this movie was pretty good for a modern car movie. The camera work was great except for the annoying lack of focus when I was trying to look at the details in the background. The car sounds seemed spot on. The acting was very good.
I was also disappointed with the crowd. I didn’t see any cool cars in the parking lot. In fact, there was only a handful of people in the theater at all.
According to the news, the movie is doing very well. I hope it does. Young men need more role models like Shelby, Miles Iacocca, and Ford. I look forward to seeing it again when it comes out on video.
For the full story, read the book: Go Like Hell