A film that comes at you like a flashing strobe light.
Driven (2001)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:107
Fresh:14
Rotten:93
Average Rating:3.6/10
Consensus: Underdeveloped characters, silly plot dynamics, and obvious CG effects.
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: For years Joe Tanto (SYLVESTER STALLONE) has tried to forget -- forget his mistakes, the blown opportunities, the wasted potential, not to mention the accident on the track that almost killed him... For years Joe Tanto (SYLVESTER STALLONE) has tried to forget -- forget his mistakes, the blown opportunities, the wasted potential, not to mention the accident on the track that almost killed him and another racecar driver. But each day the pain and scars remind Joe of the once-promising racing career he threw away. When owner Carl Henry (BURT REYNOLDS) asks him if he wants his old job back, Joe jumps at the rare opportunity for a second chance. There’s only one catch: he has to help the rookie sensation Jimmy Bly (KIP PARDUE), who is falling from the top rankings. It’s Joe’s one chance to get back on the track … but in the name of someone else’s victory. International box-office star and Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone ("Get Carter," "Rocky") wrote, produces and stars in Franchise Pictures’ Driven, which reunites him with director RENNY HARLIN, with whom he made the blockbuster action thriller, "Cliffhanger." Harlin, who has helmed some of the most dynamic action films of all time, including "Deep Blue Sea" and "Die Hard 2: Die Harder," also produces. In addition to Stallone and film legend Burt Reynolds (Academy Award nominee for "Boogie Nights"), Driven also stars Gina Gershon ("The Insider," "Bound"), Kip Pardue ("Remember the Titans"), Robert Sean Leonard ("The Last Days of Disco"), Stacy Edwards ("In the Company of Men"), Estella Warren (Tim Burton’s upcoming "The Visitor"), Til Schweiger ("Judas Kiss"), Cristian de la Fuente (the CBS drama "Family Law") and Brent Briscoe ("A Simple Plan"). Currently in production in Montreal, Driven is the ultimate E-ticket ride: a racing movie that uses state-of-the-art film technology to simulate the driver’s point of view in excess of 200 miles-per-hour. "Driven is not just about guys driving fast," says director/producer Harlin. For Stallone, the film, which focuses on the lives of four drivers, is also a highly personal exploration of regret, success, fame and the redemptive power of love. "Driving and racing are great symbols for many things," Stallone says. "When you think about it, each one of us engages in one type of a race or another in our lives. " The film, which completed filming in Toronto and Chicago before moving to Montreal, is produced by Franchise Pictures’ ELIE SAMAHA ("The Art of War," "Get Carter," "The Whole Nine Yards"), along with Stallone and Harlin. Andrew Stevens ("Get Carter," "The Whole Nine Yards"), Don Carmody ("Get Carter," "The Whole Nine Yards") and Kevin King ("Get Carter," "CopLand") are the executive producers. Driven is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. [More]
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Kip Pardue, Gina Gershon, Estella Warren
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Kip Pardue, Gina Gershon, Estella Warren, Til Schweiger, Burt Reynolds, Robert Sean Leonard, Stacy Edwards, Cristian de la Fuente
Director: Renny Harlin
Director: Renny Harlin
Screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone
Producer: Elie Samaha, Sylvester Stallone, Renny Harlin
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Driven
Despite all of its souped-up sound and special-effects fury, the racing movie Driven never really shifts out of neutral.
Whenever the movie leaves the racecourses, whenever the tires stop screeching and the fenders slamming, the story lands in a brutal pile-up of cliches.
The slowest-moving vehicle ever endorsed by the CART racing federation.
When the film predictably limps across the finish line, you're left with the impression your time would have been better spent sitting in traffic.
It's just too dumbed down! No real suspense. No real drama. No real surprises. Just some great action scenes featuring cars swerving around racetracks at many a mile an hour while kick arse songs blare on in the background.
An amazingly dull movie despite the high number of spectacular car crashes and sexy people on display.
As Driven demonstrates, it's possible for a movie to be so preposterous and so completely clueless about its own stupidity that it's almost fun.
A race-car drama full of flashy but empty images and a soundtrack that makes you feel as if you're being shaken on a motel rumblebed.
A modestly entertaining, simplistic, paint-by-the-numbers actioner, fuel-injected with race footage.
Though Harlin's skill compensates for a lot of narrative preposterousness, even it is overmatched this time around.
If you're searching for a story, this baby stalls way before the finish line.
Even fans of open-wheel racing, the high-speed, high-stress pastime that is the subject of Renny Harlin's hectic new film, may walk away from it more logy than exhilarated.
Renny Harlin is a brand name you can trust for dumb crocks of B.S. And this one is high on its own gasoline fumes. That's a compliment, by the way.
Settle in for two hours of the funniest stuff you’ve ever seen onscreen.
Why bother with developing a story when you've got fast cars and lots of product placement?
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

