by Henry Pham
This comedy audience may appreciate how well this film integrates daredevil scenes into this sports-comedy biopic, but not everyone will. People also may not know who Ken Carter is, but this movie would be a great opportunity to learn about him. The Stunt Driver is a comedy-biopic movie set in 1976. It recounts the true underdog story of Canada’s own Ken Carter, the world champion stunt driver, who battles personal demons and public doubt to attempt what everyone considers impossible: a mile-long jump across the St. Lawrence River in a rocket car.
Canadian actor Jay Baruchel is brilliant, bringing Ken Carter (whose real name is Kenneth Gordon Polsjek) to life. His character is a mixture of Ken Miles from Ford v Ferrari and Johnny Knoxville from the Jackass franchise, perhaps more like Evil Knievel, a real-life stunt performer the character is inspired by and is portrayed by Ben Forster (X-Men: The Last Stand) in the film. Baruchel’s own Ken Carter persona even takes Walt Disney’s advice on doing the impossible, which many people feared or never do. To those who don’t know who Baruchel is, he is known as the voice of Hiccup in the How to Train Your Dragon films, for which he won an Annie Award for his performance in the first film released in 2010.
Based on the 1981 documentary film that chronicles the life of Ken Carter, the film is directed by Canadian filmmaker Michael Dowse, known for directing Fuber films and Stuber (featuring Dave Bautista). His direction is well-followed, but the screenplay is dull, especially in the second act. The pacing has a slow build, making it like we have to wait for a while to get to the good stuff. The reason behind this is that they are trying to follow the source material.
The cinematography is great, providing some 1970s vibes in the background, while the Canadian setting is very fitting for both director and Baruchel. However, the aspect ratio is constantly distracting throughout the story, giving the feel of a mockumentary or documentary that uses archive footage. The film does what it can to make this one entertaining, but some viewers might find the time jumps a bit slow and tiresome, as they take away all the good stuff. The climax is underwhelming as well.
Honestly, I did not know anything about Ken Carter until I came across this film. At least, it allows me to learn about him, that’s for sure. The Stunt Driver has some slow buildups while providing Ken Carter’s 1970s formula in this comedy-muddy plotline. It is not terrible, but it didn’t make it to the other side of the road. The cast performances are not too shabby, but they could use some more character development. If you’re a guy who likes people performing daredevil stunts, here it is. It clocks in at 98 minutes, but you might feel like it’s a long two-hour movie.
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