Breaking from the traditional, expected experience from a sports movie, “Rush” delivers a refreshing experience at the theater.

Rush follows the intense rivalry between two drivers from the 1970 ’s in the car racing sport Formula One,  James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), as they compete to become world champions.

Hunt and Lauda’s rivalry begins in the smaller Formula Three races, highlighted in the beginning of the movie, and escalates as the stakes grew in Formula One.

The highlight of the movie is the ambiguity of the protagonist. Neither Lauda or Hunt are portrayed as a traditional villain or a hero, and both can be seen as the protagonist, making their interaction on-screen very interesting.

This breaks from the basic formula of a sports movie, in which a protagonist overcoming his villainous rival to become champion. This break was a refreshing surprise, adding to the enjoyment of the movie as something original.

The racing shots are very well done, and there are enough of them to satisfy the need for simple action, without feeling overdone. They are visually appealing and help to break up the dialogue.

The dialogue between Hunt and Lauda reflects the type of character of the historical racers, Hunt being a womanizing, care-free party boy, and Lauda a calculating, harsh and distant professional. Both Brühl and Hemsworth capture the essence of their respective roles, and as they continually clash, the dialogue increases in quality, reflecting the rising suspense of the movie.

The movie’s supporting roles are the largest downside in “Rush”. Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde), feels unfinished as a character, her scenes feel tacked on and her character development is nonexistent. The rest of the supporting cast are hard to even remember. This detracts from the movie, but as it revolves almost entirely around the conflict of Lauda and Hunt, it does not matter as much as it would with another movie.

As a sports movie, “Rush” manages to capture a unique story from the past involving an interesting setting. It revolves around the strong acting of Hemsworth and Brühl as James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and rarely misses a step as it chronicles the drivers’ struggle for dominance in a deadly sport.