The opening sequence in “Fast & Furious” justifies not only the franchise but the whole idea of a fourth installment of the guilty pleasure series.
Vin Diesel and co. race to swipe the oil right from under a trucker’s nose. It’s the kind of jaw-dropping, logic-breaking scene that epitomizes the franchise at its best.
If only the rest of the movie was a fraction as good.
The new “Furious” brings back Diesel and Paul Walker from the 2001 original, putting them through some pretty similar paces.
Diesel’s Dominic Toretto is still walking the fine line between rogue and rascal, and Walker’s conflicted cop just can’t find it in his heart to slap the cuffs on him. They’re both wrapped up in a drug smuggling operation using fast cars to bring dope from Mexico to the U.S.
Dominic is involved out of revenge – you’ll have to see for yourself. Walker wants to infiltrate the drug cartel to bring it down, but he doesn’t have the full support of his superiors.
He’s also the most obvious undercover cop we’ve seen in a while, looking as clean cut as a GQ model. A four-year-old could look at him and bellow, “he’s a cop, for cryin’ out loud!”
It all leads to some underground car chases and the standard shootout sequences.
Yeah, underground racing is just as yawn inducing as it sounds.
The newest “Furious” feature serves up some leering shots of the ladies, and Diesel graciously wears as little as possible to show off his Popeye-sized physique.
But where’s the fun, the sense of a franchise running all all cylinders like the surprisingly effective “Tokyo Drift?”
Oh, yeah, it’s all in the opening sequence.
“Fast & Furious” feels slower and less intense than a film in this franchise deserves.
(Photo: Paul Walker and Vin Diesel reprise their signature roles in “Fast & Furious.”)
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 1 trackback }
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Haven’t seen the film and will probably wait and get it from netflix since i’m not a film critic. i think your assessment of the film is dead on from what i have heard but that didn’t stop the vast majority of the american public flocking to see it. the thing i don’t understand is why these types of films always do well. When the very first film in the series came out on DVD i worked in a video store and we sold out the first day and we had well over 100 copies.
Why people flock:
1. Cars. People love cars, especially fast ones. The enduring symbol of freedom will always be a 60s, V-8 big block, supercharged, rear-wheel-drive, 10 MPG, 0-60 in holy shit muscle car. The imports are distant cousins, but the spirit lives on. This is why GM will never be able to sell a Prius, and why Americans will never rush like lemmings to Toyota to buy them.
2. The first movie told a compelling story. It was B-grade drive-in all the way, but it had a lot of heart and inspiration from Rob Cohen, who aped Stagecoach and dug out all the inspiration he could muster. Plenty of goodwill still left.
3. None of the modern movie affectations. The Fast and the Furious could have easily been made in the 70s or 80s as it was the 2000s.
4. Did I mention the cars? People love cars. Especially bad ass Americans. And foreigners will claw and scratch to get a peek at that world.
I’m the only person in America who liked Rob Cohen’s “Stealth.” Literally. He’s a fun filmmaker to watch … one reason the initial F&F did so well.
That said, the take for this new film shocked me.