The Paul Giamatti-voiced animated sports comedy soaring on Netflix

In the ever-evolving landscape of Netflix’s top ten lists, there’s a surprise contender making its mark yet again: an animated sports comedy featuring the unmistakable voice of Paul Giamatti. 

While Giamatti may not have clinched an Oscar for his memorable role as the endearingly cranky Paul Hunham in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, his presence in the animated gem Turbo is proving to be a winning formula for Netflix audiences.

Directed by David Soren and written by Soren, Darren Lemke, and Robert D. Siegel, Turbo has raced its way to the sixth spot on Netflix’s top ten list in the US, marking its third triumphant (albeit non-consecutive) week in the rankings.

Turbo tells the tale of an ordinary garden snail named Theo (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) with extraordinary dreams of becoming the fastest snail in the world. After a freak accident grants him incredible speed, Theo adopts the moniker ‘Turbo’ and sets on a journey to compete in the Indianapolis 500, the pinnacle of racing glory.

Chet, Turbo’s cautious and pragmatic brother, voiced by Giamatti, acts as Turbo’s voice of reason. Chet’s sensible nature acts as a comedic foil to Turbo’s adventurous spirit.

Aside from Giamatti lending his voice to the character of Chet, the film boasts an impressive lineup of talent. Reynolds injects Turbo with his signature charm, while other notable voices include Michael Peña, Samuel L. Jackson, and Snoop Dogg.

Despite being a lively story about superfast, racing snails, like most Reynolds outings, Turbo also left critics feeling wanting a little more zing. But most aligned with the sentiments of A. O. Scott of The New York Times, who wrote, “Even in the absence of originality, there is fun to be had, thanks to some loopy, clever jokes and a lively celebrity voice cast.” 

Tune into Turbo on Netflix and catch the trailer here: