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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