Turbo (2013)
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A garden snail gains super speed and dreams of competing in the Indianapolis 500.
The story
In a suburban tomato garden in Van Nuys, California, a garden snail named Theo, who calls himself 'Turbo', dreams of becoming a racer like his hero, Guy Gagné. His obsession makes him an outcast among his slow-moving peers and an embarrassment to his brother, Chet. One night, Theo wanders onto a freeway and is sucked through the supercharger of a Chevrolet Camaro during a drag race. This freak accident fuses his body with nitrous oxide, granting him super speed and car-like characteristics. After a series of mishaps, he is captured by a taco truck driver and enters a snail race, where he quickly establishes his new identity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Theo, a garden snail in Van Nuys, California, dreams of racing but is mocked by his community. After gaining super speed from a nitrous oxide accident, he wins a local snail race and joins forces with Tito Lopez, a taco truck driver. Tito wants to use Turbo as a tourist attraction, but Turbo aims for the Indianapolis 500. With the help of Tito's coworkers, Turbo qualifies for the race and becomes a social media sensation. However, he is confronted by his hero, Guy Gagné, who reveals he only supported Turbo for publicity and tells him to back out. During the race, Turbo is initially in last place but uses his small size to gain ground. Gagné cheats, damaging Turbo's shell and weakening his speed. Despite his shell breaking and his powers nearly vanishing, Turbo refuses to quit. Encouraged by his brother Chet, Turbo resumes the race and narrowly defeats Gagné by tucking and rolling with his broken shell. In the aftermath, Starlight Plaza thrives, and Turbo's shell heals, restoring his super speed.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Soren
- Writers
- David Soren · screenplay; Darren Lemke · screenplay; Robert Siegel · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Reynolds · Theo/Turbo; Paul Giamatti · Chet; Michael Peña · Tito Lopez; Luis Guzmán · Angelo Lopez; Bill Hader · Guy Gagné; Samuel L. Jackson · Whiplash
- Genres
- animated; sports; comedy
- Themes
- underdog; ambition; family support
- Tone and mood
- wholesome; heart-warming; humorous
- Setting
- Van Nuys, California and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Premise and plot tags
- animated; sports; comedy; talking animals; wish fulfillment
- Franchise connections
- Turbo
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its heart and visual thrills while others criticized its predictability and lack of originality. It was a box office failure, losing the studio money despite its gross.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · review count: 111; Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Production trivia
- The concept was originally 'The Fast and the Furious with snails'.; The film took 75 million render hours to render.; The film was dedicated to character effects animator Nicholas Sanger Hoppe.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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