Days of Thunder

Incredibly uneven yet basically entertaining, Days of Thunder casts Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle – a hot-shot stock car driver who must overcome a series of obstacles to become the best within his field. Screenwriter Robert Towne has infused the proceedings with an unexpectedly erratic structure that results in a narrative that gracelessly lurches from one sequence to the next, as the emphasis is placed on a series of tenuously-connected mini-dramas revolving primarily around Cruise’s character (eg his romance with Nicole Kidman’s Claire, his rivalry-turned-friendship with Michael Rooker’s Rowdy Burns, etc, etc). It’s subsequently not surprising to note that the film’s effectiveness tends to come in fits and starts, with the various racing sequences standing as an obvious highlight. The middling midsection proves a test to one’s patience, however, and there’s no getting around the feeling that Towne is simply spinning his wheels in the build-up to the admittedly thrilling climactic race. The impressive supporting cast, which includes, among others, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, and John C. Reilly, adds a fair amount of color to the proceedings, although Tony Scott’s almost relentlessly dated directorial choices ensure that the movie remains very much a product of its time for the duration of its 107 minutes. And while it does go without saying that the film is probably immeasurably improved by a viewing on as big a screen as possible, Days of Thunder, despite the presence of several crowd-pleasing moments (eg the wheelchair race between Cole and Rowdy), suffers from an egregiously stagnant sensibility that prevents it from living up to the promise of its popcorn-friendly premise.

**1/2 out of ****