By Brenton Thom FAST & FURIOUS 6 is a direct sequel to FAST 5... which was a direct sequel to FAST & FURIOUS (the 4th installment), and so on down the line. The only oddball film is FAST AND THE FURIOUS 3: TOKYO DRIFT. That film is supposed to take place after this film. Sort of. Now, I will do my best to review this film without giving away any spoilers, but let’s face it, you’re not going to hold this movie up on a pedestal when it comes to twists and mysteries around every hairpin corner. This movie begins as FAST 5 ended: Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) are street racing on the cliffs of Spain. After the completely pointless race home, we discover Brian has a child with Toretto’s sister, Mia. They are one big happy family, the movie assures us. Roll intro credits. If you didn’t see any of the other movies, you don’t have to worry. The opening titles do a recap of all the entries up to this point (excluding TOKYO DRIFT - because that one’s in the future, chronologically). We see highlights and recaps, and also how Toretto’s love, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), was killed off in FAST 4. Once the movie really starts, there are subtle references to the previous films throughout, but nothing you can’t deduce while watching the film (or through the opening titles). A good chunk of the movie takes place in the UK, and uses London’s packed streets and tight, winding roads for plenty of drifting. One thought that came into mind is how all these clean and shiny cars never get dinged or nicked through all the tight turns. Why don’t these cars ever scratch anything? Oh forget it, we’re not here the argue the realism (more on that below). The second act takes place on the highways and bridges of Spain, and the climax is at a NATO military installation that has the world’s largest/longest runway. For roughly 15-20 minutes, the gang in their cars chase down a Russian cargo jet. You heard me right, a 4 engine, wide body, nose lift, cargo jet with more wheels than the Michelin Man races down the longest runway on the planet. I’m going to assume a lot of the stuff that happens inside the jet and outside the jet are all happening simultaneously because the time it takes that plane to speed up, lift, and TRY to take off is longer than any straight freeway I’ve ever been on. I bet that airport has a lot of plane traffic. The performances by Walker and Diesel are satisfactory, though weak at points. I could definitely tell Diesel was bored and probably just collecting a paycheck. I personally think he's a fine actor, but in this flick, it felt like he was just doing it for money. The only spot where I saw a real performance was the emotional part mid-second act where Dom confronts ex-love, Letty, for the first time since her fake death. SPOILER – THEY REVEAL IN THE TRAILER THAT LETTY COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD! This is one of the few moments with an emotional charge. Rodriguez and Diesel do have chemistry. Their flirting and scar-story bits are cute, and it feels like there was a connection there. But outside that, in the action, their performances are flat. I think the most interesting characters in the movie are Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and his partner Riley (Gina Carano). Carried over from the previous film, he is motivated and determined to get his mark, at all costs. In this flick, it feels the same way... up until the end, where he does something his character wouldn’t do. I'm dancing around spoilers, but - personally - it felt wrong. Riley is also one tough woman. She knows how to kick ass, too. We hear a lot of cracking and bones snapping when she doesn’t get something she wants. A lot of the “surprises” in the story are set-up nicely in the beginning by visuals or causal placements of dialogue, so from a structural standpoint, the movie is okay. There's a definite rise and fall of tension at points in the story. As for the action, it's ridiculous, and the filmmakers know that, so they bring things to the next level. We could argue to death points about realism and physics with this movie, but that’s not the issue. This movie can be held as a larger than life flick, similar to any James Bond or superhero film. The series started out with a more grounded action vibe (like POINT BREAK, for example) and now has become something more comical like the change in tone from GREMLINS to GREMLINS 2. The film has plenty of scripted “jokes,” but many of the actual events happening are funny, too, because of the ridiculousness of them. I won’t say it’s up there with AIRPLANE or NAKED GUN, but it does have its moments. The filmmakers know what kind of movie they're making, and what the audience is, and they amplify everything, including the action. At least, that was my impression. I have to say I had a good time watching this movie, ridiculousness and all. The film has laughs and the action is a lot of fun. Did I care much for the characters? Ehh... Did it really matter? I got to see some beautiful parts of the world with some fun/cool action setpieces and plenty of colors and explosions. It was like watching a kaleidoscope on screen. There is a lot people could say about this movie, mostly by the “film buff” type people, and they would say this is a “stupid movie” or a “dumb action flick.” And they might be right, but this is not SCHINDLER’S LIST we are talking about here. This is FAST & FURIOUS 6. The SIXTH installment of the high-octane-pumping, sexy-women-walking, buff-muscles-flexing, and flashy-cars-drifting series. Would I recommend this movie to others? Maybe. It really depends on the type of person you are. If you enjoy action of all sorts and like having a laugh or two at what’s going on screen, I’d recommend it. For everyone else, mostly women, I’d say wait until video or cable.
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