By: Rodney Ho, The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — Eric Dane, who broke out as McSteamy on “Grey’s Anatomy,” has
been spending a lot of time in Atlanta the past couple of years.
He played a villain in the summer hit “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and is now a
messy deadbeat dad in “One Fast Move,” a father/son relationship film
wrapped around professional motorcycle racing that was released on Amazon
Prime Aug. 8. The movie was filmed in metro Atlanta in 2022
with Road Atlanta in Braselton and Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton given
center stage in key racing scenes.
Dean Miller, Dane’s character, is a single, struggling 40-something
motorcycle racer with a bad back who works in a bike shop owned by Abel
(Edward James Olmos). His life takes a turn when Wes (KJ Apa), his son he
abandoned two decades earlier, suddenly shows up, fresh out of jail for
illegal street racing and seeking Dean’s help to become a pro racer
himself.
Reluctantly, then enthusiastically, Dean trains his son, who is clearly
talented but is vulnerable to dad’s often bad advice. Fortunately, Olmos’
Abel plays Mr. Miyagi to both of them, dispensing wisdom by the tankful.
“I love the dynamics between Dean and Wes,” said Dane in a brief Zoom
interview recently with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I love a good
repair job. And I love a good story where there’s redemption for all
involved. I wanted to bring a sense of reality, truth and integrity to the
piece.”
Dean abandoning his girlfriend and son in the first place to pursue his
pro bike career “was not admirable,” Dane said. “He took the easy way
out.”
The movie gives Dean an opportunity to make up for lost time. But
extending the “Karate Kid” analogy, Dean was often more Kreese than Mr.
Miyagi. At one point, he tells Wes to purposely take out a hated rival
biker Cody during a race, similar to Kreese commanding Johnny to “sweep
the leg.”
Apa, best known as Archie for six seasons in the CW’s “Riverdale,” gives
Wes a bad boy image on the surface but a tender heart inside.
“KJ is a keeper,” Dane said. “We are very tight to this day. He was so
much fun to work with. He was so malleable and willing to put in the
work.”
Dane himself is no stranger to motorcycles. “I’ve owned a few in my
lifetime,” Dane said. “I got rid of them when I had my first born, but I
love them. I love the culture. And I think riding motorcycles on a track
is cool.”
Indeed, he did some of his own riding on camera, although he knew his
limitation: “I did nothing that required any real speed or when you had to
lean into turns.”
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'ONE FAST MOVE'
MPA rating: (for language, some sexual content, drug use and nudity)
Running time: 1:58
How to watch: Prime Video
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