“Ford v Ferrari” (PG-13)

It’s off to the races – for Oscar, that is – with “Ford v Ferrari,” a fast, furious and enormously entertaining historical sports drama that delves into the rivalry between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari in the 1960s and Ford’s do or die determination to build an American sports car fast enough to win and end Ferrari’s dominance as perennial champion at the race of all races – the 24 hours of Le Mans in France.

True, great race car movies like “Rush,” directed by Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth have hit the wall in recent years, but with a stellar cast including Christian Bale and Matt Damon and intense, breathtaking direction by James Mangold, “Ford v Ferrari” is bound to have some legs (make that wheels) at the box office as it roars into awards season. For the lack of better words, the movie fires on all cylinders.

AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Ford v Ferrari” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. The segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.

Damon stars as Carroll Shelby, a former racecar champion hired by Ford executive Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) to design a car with enough speed and safety to defeat Ferrari (Remo Girone) following an insult delivered he delivered to Ford (Tracy Letts) when the American automaker attempted to buy the famed Italian carmaker out. Shelby is up to the task, but he insists that Ken Miles (Christian Bale), a loose cannon but a brilliant driver and mechanic, involved. But getting Miles on his team is only one of Shelby’s problems: Despite the promise that would have carte blanche in designing the race car, Shelby is running into interference with Leo Beebe ( a perfectly slimy Josh Lucas), a sychophant Ford executive who insists Miles can’t drive the car at Le Mans because he doesn’t fit the corporation’s image.

While “Ford v Ferrari” will no doubt attract racecar enthusiasts and muscle car lovers, it’s not entirely a race car movie. The film has a lot of depth from a personal standpoint, as it explores the corporate politics that nearly derailed the project, the bond between Shelby and Miles, and Miles’ family life with his wife, Mollie (“Outlander” star Caitriona Balfe) and young son, Peter (“A Quiet Place’s” Noah Jupe). The great thing is, not only is the film intense as Miles takes to the track, it’s loaded with several great moments of comic relief to create a well-rounded filmgoing experience.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a bevy of race car scenes in the movie, and thanks to the genius of seasoned filmmaker Mangold (who last wrote and directed “Logan”), you feel like sitting next to Bale in the car as performs impossible tasks attempting to surpass the 200 mph mark. Every race scene is beyond thrilling, and they’re made all more intense by Mangold’s editing team, who should easily be nominated for an Oscar.

And speaking of Oscar, while Damon is terrific in the role and Fox will be backing a Best Actor campaign for him, expect Bale to be a lock throughout awards season, including Best Actor at the Academy Awards. With his body half the size of his Oscar-nominated Dick Cheney portrayal in “Vice,” Bale is more skinny and gaunt-like reminiscent of his Oscar-winning portrayal in “The Fighter.” His transformative performance touches all emotions, and any other year he would probably be a shoo-in to win if were not for long-overdue Joaquin Phoenix’s stunning turn in “The Joker.”

But make no joke about it, win or lose, “Ford v. Ferrari,” even clocking in at a robust 2 hours and 30 minutes, is compelling every minute and is easily one of the best films of the year.

Lammometer: 9 (out of 10)

Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM,  “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).

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