Wednesday, May 29

Fast and Furious 6 Review


Fast and Furious 6
Dir: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, and Michelle Rodriguez

There are films made for the pure entertainment of getting lost for 120 minutes. This could be the definition of a summer blockbuster film, though there are many that far exceed just mindless action and stylistic flash. Though some may frown on these kinds of films there is definitely a market for them. Fast and Furious 6 lives in this realm, mostly entertaining throughout but after it’s over you might second-guess your immediate judgment.

The film begins with franchise figures Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) racing through an exotic, non-extradition locale. They are en route to a hospital where Brian’s girlfriend Mia (Jordana Brewster) is in labor. The changing lives of these characters has brought them to a point of freedom, though the groups current setting is far from the classified “home”.  Unexpectedly Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), brought back from the last film, delivers surprising news to Dom. Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), presumed dead, is alive and working for a military mobile terrorist unit. Dom organizes his team and heads to Europe to bring Letty back to the family.

The familiar ensemble cast works well together combining comedic banter and tough guy sentiments with ease, however mostly holding the weak and unsurprising script together. The addition of past cast member Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) would have added a touch of surprise if it not hinted at in the coda of the last film. The setting is different, the bad guy (Luke Evans) is tougher, and most notably the action is far more outlandish. Not only are the rules that govern reality bent to extremes, it becomes a groaning distraction at times. Look no further than the trailer to witness the superhuman feats these characters accomplish and walk away from. But honestly, if you are coming to the sixth installment of a franchise, you probably already know what you’re getting into. If you keep that aspect of unbelievability in the forefront, this is a fun film.

These scenes are well organized and adrenaline fueled by director Justin Lin who continues to outdo himself in the grandiose action design realm. The cast, some having played these roles for 6 films, has settled into a routine. Though the acting isn’t spectacular, mostly due to forced emotional content, they still have great chemistry with one another. If it weren’t for the interaction of the characters there would be more issues with the pacing.  The narrative, which is already struggling at keeping the ideas fresh, offers a few touches of making the franchise work together cohesively; even including the third misnomer Tokyo Drift.

Most aren’t going into Fast and Furious 6 with high intentions of a thought provoking script, and the filmmakers understand that. Even with the glaring disregard to the viewer’s common sense, director Justin Lin is able to keep the adrenaline fueled action primary.
 If you can expel the realms of physics for a few hours, Fast and Furious 6 is an enjoyable ride even if the sentiment is short lived.

Monte’s Rating
3.25 out 5.00

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