I am an ardent fan of the cinematic arts. Although I have certain genre preferences, I don’t let that stifle my curiosity and close myself to different flavors of entertainment. That said...I am a huge fan of science fiction, super hero and action movies! Please visit my other blog The Boxed Office for reviews, exclusively, on these types of movies.
The Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Luke Evans.
Vin Diesel reprises his role as Dominic Toretto, a tough-as-nails street racer leading a crew now living on easy street after ripping of a drug czar. Paul Walker also returns as Brian O’Connor, a cop turned criminal that has found a home as part of Toretto’s crew. Dwayne Johnson returns from the previous Fast film as CIA agent Luke Hobbs, needing Toretto and his crew to take down the untouchable Shaw (Luke Evans). Now having amnesia, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) runs with Shaw’s crew. Tyrese Gibson returns as Roman, in a role that sees him hit the nail on the head for comic relief. If you’re a fan of the Fast & Furious films, then you know exactly what you're getting...and everyone not only lives up to your expectations, but exceeds them! If you’re not a fan, watch this film and become one.
The Plot:
CIA agent Luke Hobbs is after one of the most powerful and elusive criminals to ever turn a wheel, Owen Shaw. Always a step ahead of the authorities, Hobbs needs help and turns to the only people good enough for the task, Dominic Toretto and his crew. .
Toretto, now living a worry free life abroad after heisting 100 million dollars in the previous film, won’t be easy to convince. Fortunately for Hobbs, he has the perfect carrot...surveillance photos of Letty, Toretto’s lover who is supposed to be dead. Sticking together like a true family, the entire crew agrees to help Hobbs provided they receive full pardons for their crimes...a move that could let them all go home again.
What happens next is a flurry of high octane action with amazing stunts, and surprising plot twists that will have you on the edge of your seat, unwilling to miss a single frame.
The Verdict:
From the very beginning this film screams “fun.” It opens with the character credits, taking you on a montage of cut scenes from the previous films leading right into the remnants of carnage left by Shaw. Dwayne Johnson’s onscreen presence is formidable and a great segway into the personalities of Toretto’s crew.
The crew’s chemistry really adds the extra flavor to the film. As good as it has been in the past films, it seemed more refined in this one...like they really all had been together for a very long time. Kudos to the writing that had Tyrese getting all the laughs as he became a punchline that wasn’t silly, just entertaining.
The story was a bit complicated, but the chase made that aspect of it irrelevant. The raw action underscored the fact that the crew was dealing with an absolute criminal genius with ample resources. I expected scene after scene of ridiculous stunts, but instead there were only two parts that really strained credibility...which says a lot about how the presentation was packaged as I’m sure looking at it objectively, every stunt probably wasn’t credible.
This movie does just what it was intended to do, pump your adrenaline, tickle your sense of humor, and keep you enthralled. With maximum RPM’s, it never runs out of gas and chases down 4 cinnamon sticks, out of 5, in my cup of tea.
Rating: 4/5
On November 30th, 2013, Paul Walker was killed in a car accident. It is tragic to lose such a young talent that has given so much joy through the dedication to his craft. Rest in peace Paul Walker, you will be missed.
When the movie isn't burning rubber, it lags under the weight of a crummy script and a plot that's overcomplicated for no reason. But that's the Fast/Furious formula.
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