No stars

NOT so much driven as drivel. This is one film where you not only wish you could get those two hours of your life back but you wish you would have done something more fun, like colonic irrigation or poking hot needles into your eyes.

Allegedly set against the backdrop of the world of Formula 1 (although not really, as it is Americanised) the plot essentially revolves around two main players.

Jamie Bly is a young upstart hot-shot driver who is challenging for the championship against the long-established champ, Brandenburg, who looks, acts and sounds suspiciously like a certain German world champ we all know and love.

Bly's confidence starts to wane so his team boss, played by Burt Reynolds in a wheelchair (remind you of any other F1 team boss?) drafts in old-timer Joe Panto (Sylvester Stallone) to give him a confidence boost.

Various sub-plots involve a love interest, Sly's ex-wife and interweaving drivers' stories, but by that time, you've lost the will to live.

Stallone was a regular at various Grand Prix as he gathered material for this and learnt what life was like on the circuit. He needn't have bothered.

The stunts are executed well and the crashes are quite spectacular. But at the end of the day it is a real insult to those real drivers who do actually go out and put their life on the line to race.

Not all of them walk away from a 200 mph crash, as these characters seem to.

If you want drama, action and fast cars, tune into ITV every other Sunday and watch the real thing.

SC