A re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
True to its title, Rush makes rousing viewing, even if the adrenalin thrill of the race sequences themselves can’t always disguise the cliché-ridden aspects of Morgan’s screenplay.
Rush is one of the fastest, most enjoyable rides you will take this year.
Even if you run a mile from Top Gear, this is still exciting stuff.
An easily engaging film, Rush is well acted and adrenalised by characters you respect. Top gear, indeed.
It rarely deviates from formula, but Rush wins big, delivering the most exciting F1 footage created for film. Like Hunt, it is sexy, funny, full of thrills. Like Lauda, it is intelligent, a bit blunt, but ultimately touching.
On paper Rush hardly sounds promising yet writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and director Ron Howard have crafted an electric piece of cinema that turns an extraordinary duel for the Formula One crown in 1976 into a penetrating study of competitiveness, the male ego and what it means to be alive.
The performances – especially Brühl's – are subtle, and the film is so fabulously kinetic and throbs with such inherent drama that even the clunkiest exposition doesn't dull the thrill of its forward momentum.
The tremendous cinematography (by Anthony Dod Mantle) and rousing music (by Hans Zimmer) ensure that the race scenes are invigorating. Brühl excels as the resolutely unromantic Lauda.
A fast and furious treat.
The end result plays like a Fast & Furious film for BAFTA voters.
Top gear.
Bright, brash and unashamedly formulaic, this is thrillingly accessible fare, aiming more for the straight lines of the home stretch than the tricky curves of those treacherous corners, with Howard keeping one eye always on the grandstand.
Flirts with being truly interesting, spins off at the last bend.
Easily Ron Howard’s best film in years, Rush is a thrilling example of populist cinema at its best.
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General release. Check local listings for show times.