The Fast and The Furious (June 5/01)
One pretty much gets what one would expect out of The Fast and The Furious
- lots of car chases, lots of rap music, and lots of explosions - but
it's all basically eye (and ear) candy. Paul Walker stars as an
undercover FBI agent sent to infiltrate the world of illegal racing,
where he soon encounters (and eventually relies on the help of) the
leader of a local street gang (Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto). The Fast and The Furious
is not completely without interest, as it boasts genuinely exciting
race sequences and an expectedly compelling performance from Diesel.
Paul Walker is Paul Walker; if you saw him in The Skulls, you know what to expect (but then again, Keanu Reeves emerged from Point Break a bona fide action hero, so you never know). The acting's fine, but that's not really what's wrong with The Fast and The Furious.
About 20 minutes into the movie, there's a thoroughly exciting race
that's followed by almost a solid hour of exposition. And exposition in a
movie like this is a definite no-no. Director Rob Cohen does a decent
job of infusing the sparse car chases with a palpable sense of energy,
though one can't help but lament his decision to edit such sequences as
though he were Antoine Fuqua on crack. And double jeers to the obnoxious
soundtrack, which features everything from Ja Rule (who's actually
pretty good in his small role) to Limp Bizkit. The Fast and The Furious
is ultimately entertaining enough to warrant a mild recommendation,
particularly among viewers with a fetish for these kind of things (ie if
you liked Driven, you'll surely enjoy this).
out of
2 Fast 2 Furious (July 10/07)
Though sporadically elevated by John Singleton's stylish directorial choices, 2 Fast 2 Furious
ultimately doesn't fare as well as its mediocre predecessor - with the
surprisingly tedious car chases certainly playing a key role in the
film's undeniable failure. The storyline - which follows Paul Walker's
Brian O'Conner as he and an old buddy (Tyrese Gibson's Roman Pearce)
attempt to infiltrate the crew of a notorious drug dealer (Cole Hauser's
Carter Verone) - has been peppered with a number of broadly-conceived
action set pieces, but there's simply nothing holding such moments
together. That Walker and Gibson are trapped within the confines of
flat, entirely uninteresting characters only exacerbates such problems,
as it becomes increasingly difficult to muster any interest in their
ongoing exploits. Hauser's gleefully sinister turn as the central
villain is the one bright spot in an otherwise forgettable effort, with
the sequence in which he tortures a hapless minion with a bucket and a
rat undoubtedly the highlight of the film.
out of
The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (May 1/09)
It ultimately goes without saying that The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift
is unable to live up to the promise of its surprisingly engaging
opening half hour, as director Justin Lin - working from Chris Morgan's
screenplay - inevitably bogs the proceedings down with elements that
couldn't possibly be less interesting (including a hopelessly
uninvolving love triangle and several thoroughly dull training
sequences). The storyline follows rebellious American teenager Sean
Boswell (Lucas Black) as he's shipped off to Tokyo following a
high-profile arrest, although it's not long before Sean finds himself
embroiled in the bustling city's underground street racing scene.
There's little doubt that Lin does a nice job of initially offsetting
the familiarity of the plot by playing up the title locale's inherently
exotic nature, and it's awfully difficult not to get a kick out of the
filmmaker's penchant for incorporating recognizable Tokyo landmarks
into the narrative (ie Sean and a racing opponent "drift" through the
city's famed Shibuya crossing). It's only as the film enters its
increasingly stagnant midsection that the viewer's interest is seriously
tested, as Morgan plum runs out of interesting things for the various
characters to do and - in a blatant effort at killing time before the
final showdown - subjects them to a series of aggressively tedious
episodes and confrontations. The oppressive build-up ultimately does
dampen the effectiveness of the climactic race, although - bottom line -
the movie's striking setting and compelling lead performance ensure
that it remains a slight cut above its immediate predecessor.
out of
Set after 2 Fast 2 Furious (but before Tokyo Drift), Fast & Furious
follows Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner
as they reluctantly team up to take on a shared enemy (John Ortiz's
Campos). There's little doubt that the novelty of seeing the original
film's central cast - in addition to Diesel and Walker, Jordana
Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez pop up in supporting roles - back in
action initially sustains the viewer's interest, with the over-the-top
yet effective set piece that opens the film undoubtedly setting an
appropriately energetic tone. It's just as clear, however, that the
almost egregiously familiar atmosphere ultimately becomes far more
problematic than one might've anticipated, as the increasingly flimsy
storyline ensures that the movie's quieter moments pale in comparison to
their high-octane counterparts - which undoubtedly plays a substantial
role in Fast & Furious' slow-but-steady transformation from
an agreeable popcorn flick to a downright irrelevant exercise in
tedium. There subsequently reaches a point at which even the film's
unapologetically overblown action sequences prove unable to compensate
for the progressively uneven vibe, with Fast & Furious' few
positive attributes - including an expectedly charismatic turn from
star Diesel - ultimately rendered moot by Chris Morgan's pervasively
dumbed-down screenplay.
out of
Fast Five (May 18/11)
A slight cut above its immediate predecessor, Fast Five
follows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker)
as they assemble an all-star crew of criminals and set out to steal
millions of dollars from a ruthless drug lord (Joaquim de Almeida's
Hernan Reyes) - with the gang's efforts consistently thwarted by a
tenacious federal agent named Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). There's
little doubt that Fast Five, for the most part, comes off as an
entertaining yet hopelessly bloated actioner, with the movie's 130
minute running time (!) often threatening to render its positive
attributes moot. It's consequently not surprising to note that the film
is rife with scenes and subplots of an overlong and downright needless
variety, as director Justin Lin, working from Chris Morgan's screenplay,
devotes far too much screen time to the crew's preparations for the
final heist - which effectively ensures that the movie possesses as
flabby and uneven a midsection as one could possibly have imagined (ie
it often feels as though Lin and company are merely spinning their
wheels in the buildup to the climax). It's just as clear that Fast Five
benefits substantially from the inclusion of several undeniably
entertaining sequences and performances, with the former represented
most keenly in a thrilling foot chase through the streets of Rio de
Janeiro. (In terms of the acting, Diesel, Walker, and rest of the
protagonists are fine - yet it's Johnson's magnetic, almost absurdly
macho turn as uber-agent Luke Hobbs that stands as the most
effortlessly engaging element within the proceedings.) The end result is
a frustratingly protracted piece of work that should have been so much
better, with Lin's pervasively excessive sensibilities diminishing the
film's overall impact. (It's worth noting that even the climactic action
sequence, which is admittedly quite exciting in its early stages,
manages to overstay its welcome.)
out of
One pretty much gets what one would expect out of The Fast and The Furious
- lots of car chases, lots of rap music, and lots of explosions - but
it's all basically eye (and ear) candy. Paul Walker stars as an
undercover FBI agent sent to infiltrate the world of illegal racing,
where he soon encounters (and eventually relies on the help of) the
leader of a local street gang (Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto). The Fast and The Furious
is not completely without interest, as it boasts genuinely exciting
race sequences and an expectedly compelling performance from Diesel.
Paul Walker is Paul Walker; if you saw him in The Skulls, you know what to expect (but then again, Keanu Reeves emerged from Point Break a bona fide action hero, so you never know). The acting's fine, but that's not really what's wrong with The Fast and The Furious.
About 20 minutes into the movie, there's a thoroughly exciting race
that's followed by almost a solid hour of exposition. And exposition in a
movie like this is a definite no-no. Director Rob Cohen does a decent
job of infusing the sparse car chases with a palpable sense of energy,
though one can't help but lament his decision to edit such sequences as
though he were Antoine Fuqua on crack. And double jeers to the obnoxious
soundtrack, which features everything from Ja Rule (who's actually
pretty good in his small role) to Limp Bizkit. The Fast and The Furious
is ultimately entertaining enough to warrant a mild recommendation,
particularly among viewers with a fetish for these kind of things (ie if
you liked Driven, you'll surely enjoy this). out of 2 Fast 2 Furious (July 10/07)
Though sporadically elevated by John Singleton's stylish directorial choices, 2 Fast 2 Furious
ultimately doesn't fare as well as its mediocre predecessor - with the
surprisingly tedious car chases certainly playing a key role in the
film's undeniable failure. The storyline - which follows Paul Walker's
Brian O'Conner as he and an old buddy (Tyrese Gibson's Roman Pearce)
attempt to infiltrate the crew of a notorious drug dealer (Cole Hauser's
Carter Verone) - has been peppered with a number of broadly-conceived
action set pieces, but there's simply nothing holding such moments
together. That Walker and Gibson are trapped within the confines of
flat, entirely uninteresting characters only exacerbates such problems,
as it becomes increasingly difficult to muster any interest in their
ongoing exploits. Hauser's gleefully sinister turn as the central
villain is the one bright spot in an otherwise forgettable effort, with
the sequence in which he tortures a hapless minion with a bucket and a
rat undoubtedly the highlight of the film. out of The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (May 1/09)
It ultimately goes without saying that The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift
is unable to live up to the promise of its surprisingly engaging
opening half hour, as director Justin Lin - working from Chris Morgan's
screenplay - inevitably bogs the proceedings down with elements that
couldn't possibly be less interesting (including a hopelessly
uninvolving love triangle and several thoroughly dull training
sequences). The storyline follows rebellious American teenager Sean
Boswell (Lucas Black) as he's shipped off to Tokyo following a
high-profile arrest, although it's not long before Sean finds himself
embroiled in the bustling city's underground street racing scene.
There's little doubt that Lin does a nice job of initially offsetting
the familiarity of the plot by playing up the title locale's inherently
exotic nature, and it's awfully difficult not to get a kick out of the
filmmaker's penchant for incorporating recognizable Tokyo landmarks
into the narrative (ie Sean and a racing opponent "drift" through the
city's famed Shibuya crossing). It's only as the film enters its
increasingly stagnant midsection that the viewer's interest is seriously
tested, as Morgan plum runs out of interesting things for the various
characters to do and - in a blatant effort at killing time before the
final showdown - subjects them to a series of aggressively tedious
episodes and confrontations. The oppressive build-up ultimately does
dampen the effectiveness of the climactic race, although - bottom line -
the movie's striking setting and compelling lead performance ensure
that it remains a slight cut above its immediate predecessor. out of Set after 2 Fast 2 Furious (but before Tokyo Drift), Fast & Furious
follows Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner
as they reluctantly team up to take on a shared enemy (John Ortiz's
Campos). There's little doubt that the novelty of seeing the original
film's central cast - in addition to Diesel and Walker, Jordana
Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez pop up in supporting roles - back in
action initially sustains the viewer's interest, with the over-the-top
yet effective set piece that opens the film undoubtedly setting an
appropriately energetic tone. It's just as clear, however, that the
almost egregiously familiar atmosphere ultimately becomes far more
problematic than one might've anticipated, as the increasingly flimsy
storyline ensures that the movie's quieter moments pale in comparison to
their high-octane counterparts - which undoubtedly plays a substantial
role in Fast & Furious' slow-but-steady transformation from
an agreeable popcorn flick to a downright irrelevant exercise in
tedium. There subsequently reaches a point at which even the film's
unapologetically overblown action sequences prove unable to compensate
for the progressively uneven vibe, with Fast & Furious' few
positive attributes - including an expectedly charismatic turn from
star Diesel - ultimately rendered moot by Chris Morgan's pervasively
dumbed-down screenplay. out of Fast Five (May 18/11)
A slight cut above its immediate predecessor, Fast Five
follows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker)
as they assemble an all-star crew of criminals and set out to steal
millions of dollars from a ruthless drug lord (Joaquim de Almeida's
Hernan Reyes) - with the gang's efforts consistently thwarted by a
tenacious federal agent named Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). There's
little doubt that Fast Five, for the most part, comes off as an
entertaining yet hopelessly bloated actioner, with the movie's 130
minute running time (!) often threatening to render its positive
attributes moot. It's consequently not surprising to note that the film
is rife with scenes and subplots of an overlong and downright needless
variety, as director Justin Lin, working from Chris Morgan's screenplay,
devotes far too much screen time to the crew's preparations for the
final heist - which effectively ensures that the movie possesses as
flabby and uneven a midsection as one could possibly have imagined (ie
it often feels as though Lin and company are merely spinning their
wheels in the buildup to the climax). It's just as clear that Fast Five
benefits substantially from the inclusion of several undeniably
entertaining sequences and performances, with the former represented
most keenly in a thrilling foot chase through the streets of Rio de
Janeiro. (In terms of the acting, Diesel, Walker, and rest of the
protagonists are fine - yet it's Johnson's magnetic, almost absurdly
macho turn as uber-agent Luke Hobbs that stands as the most
effortlessly engaging element within the proceedings.) The end result is
a frustratingly protracted piece of work that should have been so much
better, with Lin's pervasively excessive sensibilities diminishing the
film's overall impact. (It's worth noting that even the climactic action
sequence, which is admittedly quite exciting in its early stages,
manages to overstay its welcome.) out of 
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