Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
Talented rookie race-car driver Jimmy Bly has started losing his focus and begins to slip in the race rankings. It's no wonder, with the immense pressure being shoveled on him by his overly ambitious promoter brother as well as Bly's romance with his arch rival's girlfriend Sophia. With much riding on Bly, car owner Carl Henry brings former racing star Joe Tanto on board to help Bly. To drive Bly back to the top of the rankings, Tanto must first deal with the emotional scars left over from a tragic racing accident which nearly took his life.
Driven is a formulaic sports drama that recycles well-worn redemption and mentorship tropes without adding anything fresh to the genre. Sylvester Stallone's script (which he also stars in) is widely considered weak, with flat characterization and melodramatic dialogue that undermines the performances. The acting across the board is serviceable at best, with most cast members given little to work with. The cinematography and racing sequences are a genuine highlight — the on-track action is kinetic and visually ambitious for its time, with some impressive practical and CG-assisted race footage capturing speed effectively. However, the film's novelty is low, treading familiar ground in both plot and tone, and the ending resolves predictably without earning its emotional beats. Overall a below-average sports drama saved partially by its racing visuals.