FAST & FURIOUS 6, a High Octane Thriller (Film Review)

FAST FUR post

 

Flying off the line Fast & Furious 6, a high velocity crime thriller, starts in high gear and never slams on its brakes till mid final credits.  Stacked with a returning cast, their seasoned director and an amazing film crew the movie continues on its road to victory lane with yet another top sequel. Whether you’re a fan of the Fast and Furious franchise or just like fast cars and unstoppable action, take this hot rod ride.  

It’s been a few years since the gang got together and we find Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) living the life of luxury in a no-extradition country with Elana (Elsa Pataky).  She’s the ex-cop who joined him following their last heist in Rio. Spending a quite day overlooking the ocean on the Spanish coast he feels free as a bird, but uninvited guest FBI Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) walks up with an envelope in his hand.

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in Fast & Furious 6

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in Fast & Furious 6

Dom’s not happy to see him and reminds him that he cannot be taken back to the United States.  Hobbs pulls out a photo of his ex-girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) who was presumed dead in Fast & Furious 4 and tells him she is still alive and working with a special Ops soldier Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). This leader of a unit specializing in vehicular warfare has the FBI scrambling to take him down before he destroys London’s Military. When he offers him and his gang amnesty for all their crimes and a chance to get to Letty Dom takes Hobbs up on his offer and sets out to regroup his team.

The action gets so infectious that the two hour plus film flies by like the extreme automobiles the team uses in the movie.  From a breathtaking race down a mountain in Spain, street racing in London, strikes on a convoy and playing chicken with a huge airplane, the movie has an excellent rhythm that exudes excitement.  Some of the most outrageous stunts are pulled off during the extreme action and yet the film is almost devoid of CGI.

Roman (Tyrese Gibson) makes a death-defying leap in Fast and Furious 6

Roman (Tyrese Gibson) makes a death-defying leap in Fast and Furious 6

All the actors put their whole bodies and minds into the production including doing most of their own stunts.  One example is the chase and fight between Michelle Rodriguez as Letty and Gina Carano as FBI Agent Riley and should be listed as a classic in choreography for its realism and adrenaline pumping value.  It happens during an arrest bust when Letty runs to escape being captured by the FBI.  It’s a foot race through a London underground with the two scrapping at every turn leading to an unforgettable catfight showdown that should make you cringe.

The whole ensemble returns with their now famous personalities including the comedy of Tyrese Gibson as Roman the guy who’s only moved by money, Ludicrous as Tej Parker who runs the plan with his computer knowledge, Paul Walker works in tandem with Dom as co-leader, Han (Sung Kang) and Gisele (Gal Gadot) work their magic getting the things that will allow the team to complete their job. Together the actors have grown into the perfect storm for this kind of film and in Fast & Furious 6 they prove my point.

Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) hangs on for a rescue attempt

Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) hangs on for a rescue attempt

Director Justin Lin makes his film a thrill a minute that pumps out so much adrenaline that the 2 hours plus flies by before you know it. Lin jumped into the franchise with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006 and did a good job with the high octane film.  He followed that with Fast and Furious in 2009 and then put the series on the map with the wild Rio safe heist in Fast Five 2011.  Here he outdoes himself with an intriguing storyline, nonstop action and some nicely laid twists.  His climax comes with a crazy on road convoy battle featuring a military tank followed by the downing of a huge airliner.

Fast & Furious 6 has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language.  Be cautious when deciding to allow adolescents see the film as it does have some scenes that may be inappropriate for younger children.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A hot way to start out a cool summer. (A)

Additional Film Information:

  • Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Elsa Pataky, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Gina Carano, Tyrese Gibson, Ludicrous, Sung Kang and Gal Gadot
  • Directed by: Justin Lin
  • Genre: Crime, Action Thriller
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language
  • Running Time: 2 hrs 10 min
  • Opening Date: May 24, 2013
  • Distributed by: Universal Pictures

 

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