Tom Cruise stars as up-and-coming stock car racer Cole Trickle in this film by the makers of “Top Gun.” Under the tutelage of head mechanic Robert Duvall, Cruise matures as a man as he learns the ropes of the NASCAR circuit.
But this film never shifts out of first gear — it’s flat and predictable with action that’s loud, not thrilling. This Tony Scott-directed release also stars Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Michael Rooker and John C. Reilly. Rated PG-13.
GRADE: C-