April 2009
<< Back

Fast & Furious (15)
Printed 8th April 2009

The fourth in what probably seemed the most unlikeliest of film franchises back in 2001 when the’s were fashionable, Fast & Furious revs up to the big screen one more time, reuniting the core original cast for what is arguably the most winning instalment yet in an ever improving series.

The (surprisingly) involved story at the centre of this homecoming picks up five years after Dominic Toretto (lost action hero Vin Diesel) drove off into the sunset at the climax of the first flick. Leading a fugitive existence on the lam with bonnie partner-in-crime Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Dom drifts through life with the authorities never more than an inch behind every turn.

But when the tragic murder of someone he loves brings him back to L.A., his path crosses once more with that of Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), the cop that came closest to bringing him down. Forced into an uneasy alliance thanks to their shared enemy, Brian and Dom must speedily learn to work together and to forget past feuds in order to infiltrate the drug “driving” cartel that claimed the life of one member of their de facto family.

The thing with this film (franchise) is you have to accept it for what it is. You have to get on board for the ride, be a willing (brainless) passenger, not back seat drive and try to tell it where you want it to go. Fast & Furious (plural) is total trash. But, as total trash goes, this is tops.

Everyone here is in fifth gear: Walker is on his best Keanu-alike behaviour, looking pretty whilst emoting through monotone; Rodriguez is the most alluring tomboy ever, equal parts gutsy and gorgeous; the street-racing car-and-crash porn is the biggest and best yet, and mostly un-CGI assisted by all accounts; whilst the whole thing looks so dang good thanks to some slick cinematography by Amir Mokri, the visuals a mile ahead of any of the previous F&F efforts.

Then, of course, there’s Diesel, a man born (and named) to play a petrolhead if ever there was one. Bringing his a-game to this fan-favourite character that he only seems to reserve for Toretto and his other on-screen alter-ego Riddick, Diesel is all ripped guns, gravel-gargling voice, simmering intensity, underlying emotions and pithy put-down’s: the definition of a man’s man and the perfect figurehead for such a boy’s own adventure. It’s good to have the real Vin standing up again.

And make no mistake the target audience here is undoubtedly boys, big and small. Boys that like their cars fast, their bass loud, their women pneumatic (and frequently engaged in unnecessary same sex lip lockage) and their action furious. The fairer sex may enjoy this just as much of course, but that’s a happy by-product and surely not intended?

If all this sounds suspiciously Bayhem to you then that should come as no coincidence, director Justin Lin has a touch of the Michael Bay about him (which is no bad thing). Stretching his vision for shots and composition since an earlier stint behind the F&F wheel for the mostly un-canon Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious is the Bad Boys II to The Fast and the Furious’ Bad Boys (so much so one might argue it pretty much followed that exact template, right down to the secret off-the-book mission across the border end action sequence): more bombast, more bashes (of the car and fist variety), more booming bass and more birds for your buck. Lin's work here is surely enough to have bought himself a big budget franchise to call his own, if not the Transformers™ seat should Bay become bored and not want to do anything further than this summer’s impending sequel Revenge of the Fallen?

Everything a macho posturing, testerone-tastic Friday night popcorn flick should be, Fast & Furious should in no way disappoint those who love any/all of the franchise so far. For anyone else that doesn’t get it, this won’t "pimp" them to it. Well they don’t know the fun they’re missing out on...

*** (and a half)