I can’t believe there’s been six of these. But whatever, who cares, because MORE CAR PORN! Woohoo!
“It’s bad in a way that is almost similar to how I felt about Pacific Rim; meaning that it’s cool and it’s fun and my inner child just loved it, but it’s also stupid and made no sense whatsoever.”
The “story” goes that G.I. Joe Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is on the trail of some seriously bad dudes who are trying to steal components to make some sort of super weapon (I think it was a bomb) and because their leader has some military transport background he deduces he can’t do this alone. He has to get a gang of car boosters and drug kingpin topplers back together so they can help him. There’s a problem though. Our favourite motor heads have been dispersed all over the world, spending their hard-earned millions in different places across the globe.
Dom (Vin Diesel) is shacked up with the floozy from the last movie (or was it the movie before that? They all tend to mold into one) in the Canary Islands, with Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) just a treacherous Canarian cliff drive away. Oh, and they have a baby now too, so it’s the straight life for this family from here on out. That is, of course, until Hobbs shows with photos of Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) who has turned up not dead. This clinches the deal for Dom, who decides he’ll help Hobbs in order to find Letty.
The crew, that consists of Dom, Brian, Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Han (Sung Kang), Gisele (Gal Gadot) and Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) hook up in London where they chase after the evil Shaw (Luke Evans) and his team. His team includes Letty, who has “amnesia” (haha!) and doesn’t remember Dom or anything about her life before she woke up in a hospital after she obviously didn’t die. Who did they bury, then? That’s a bit creepy!
The film takes us from the Canaries, to London, to Spain and back to LA again. There are tanks and planes and naturally, plenty of car candy upon which I feasted my eager eyes. Being totally honest here, and it’s hard to do considering the ironically tragic circumstances, but Fast & Furious 6 is a pretty bad movie. It’s bad in a way that is almost similar to how I felt about Pacific Rim; meaning that it’s cool and it’s fun and my inner child just loved it, but it’s also stupid and made no sense whatsoever.
LOOK MA, I CAN PHYSICS!
I hear you. You’re saying, “FFS WOMAN, could you not just enjoy it for what it is and quit your logic talk. We care not for the laws of physics!” I could, but what makes these movies such a guilty pleasure is how they look, and this one just didn’t look as good as the others. I don’t know why the “speed-up” manoeuvre is employed during editing, I really don’t, because the fast-forward effect ruined almost every action sequence for me, in both the physical fights and the car chases. I understand that everything looks more dangerous and people look more kick-ass when they pull off these moves at speed, but using speed editing in order to achieve this just looks unnatural, and it’s obvious. Every single action scene. It bugged me to no end.
You know what else bugged me? That entire plane segment. How long was that runway?
The bad guys have a tank. So cool. But it’s about to be taken out by a Dodge Daytona and a Ford Escort. For serial.
The performances were as you’d expect from the Fast franchise. Diesel (Riddick, The Fast & The Furious) brought his usual charismatic presence. Walker (Hours, The Fast & The Furious) actually did a fine job too, and I don’t know if that’s because he’d steadily improved over the course of these films or if it’s because this one had a few shared storylines, but it was less ham-and-cheese from him. Michelle Rodriguez (Machete, Lost) made Michelle Rodriguez faces for the whole time, but to be fair to her she always does what it says on her tin. Dwayne Johnson (Pain & Gain, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) was The Rock in combat fatigues. He’s perfectly suited for these types of films and his delivery of the cringey quips always brings a smile to my face. Gina Corano (Blood and Bone) as Hobbs’ sidekick Riley was physically impressive and Luke Evans (Immortals, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) as Shaw did what he could I suppose, and managed to seem quite menacing at times. I’m still not convinced that Gal Gadot (Fast Five) is a good fit for Wonder Woman, but she wasn’t as awful as I thought she was going to be.
Like I said though, it’s a stupid movie, but an entertainingly stupid movie. And let’s face it, nobody watches these films for the dialogue or the intricate plotlines. It’s all about the muscle cars and the bikini babes. If you do watch it, stay tuned for the post-credits clip. Jason Statham is in it, and he’ll be in Fast 7. Which I will probably watch anyway because Jason Statham is awesome.
Best part of the film.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Do I agree?: Eh, no. This is a 5 (if even) on a really good day.
Netflix Pick – Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist 
[FILM] John Wick 
[FILM] Fifty Shades of Grey 
[FILM] A Million Ways To Die In The West 
The Verbal Spew Review 
For shame, how dare you spit on this franchise! Nah, I’m kidding, I still don’t know what the hell that movie was about. I’ve seen it like twelve times and right now I don’t remember the plot. It’s hollywood eye candy done right and I’m entirely guilty of being one of those sterotype people that are watching films like this, mouth wide open, drooling from the one corner, stars in my eyes, while I mumble “OOOHHH Pretty” But alas, I like that feeling and wouldn’t want it any other way :-)
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Some very pretty cars here, to be sure, though I think a few of the earlier films had nicer ones! I do love the old Mustangs though, was always a sucker for those.
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Oh actually I can’t even remember what cars were in there. I just loved the action, high speed chases, Dom being Superman,hahahaha. Still my favorite scene, so not possible. It’s funny because throughout that the whole movie that was the first scene that I said “Pffft, that could never happen”
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You know, I was going along with things too until that scene! I just burst out laughing and that was all she wrote! Did you notice how long that runway was at the end too? :D Brilliant.
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Haha, I know! The entire cinema burst out laughing at the Superman scene :-)
The runway, yes totally, although I didn’t notice it until Debbies brother pointed it out. My first statement was “Why didn’t they just shoot the wheels?” Then her brother said, “How long was that f****ing runway?”
The glass shattered and we were all like “Damn” and then burst out laughing…
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LOL! This should have been marketed as a comedy, it would have worked as we all seem to have gotten a great laugh out of it.
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Agreed, I’m really curious to see how the next one will play out now with the sad death of Paul Walker…
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I think they had a lot of it filmed before it happened. For anything else I think they’re using Paul’s little brother. It is very sad though, I was pretty upset to hear what had happened. He sounded like such a nice guy. Not to mention, a very handsome fella.
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I’m glad you said you were upset because so was I. I was sad for a couple of days and no one seemed to understand why. The man wasn’t the greatest actor by any means but he made exceptionally enjoyable films and I’ve loved him since Varsity Blues and Joyride.
I put him on the same list as Heath Ledger was on. The great potentials that never should have been taken list
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YEAH Ford Escort!
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Did you have one of those back in the day Brian? They were tanks.
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No my first car was a gold 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera.
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Stylin’. Bet you got all sorts of action with it. ;)
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Oh, the MOST action……. :(
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A good/bad dichotomy fails to properly capture the intricacies of movies that are stupidly-good (this one) or stupidly-bad (G I Joe, Transformers, etc.).
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Indeed Murf. I actually couldn’t decide if this is a stupid movie, that is also bad, or a good movie that is also stupid. I confused myself often but it all boils down to the fact that I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and if I did, I’d follow it up with, “but it’s really stupid”. :D
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You know, I was thinking the same thing about Paul Walker’s acting in this one. So much improved….and then it turned out Statham was the next villain…and Paul is gone. :-( Strangely enough, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I thought it was a lot of fun…but then, I’ve always had a soft spot for this particular franchise (minus Tokyo Drift…I mean, get real. @@) I was happy to see Brian and Mia together with a baby. I’m wondering how they’re going to write him out of the next one. I hope they don’t kill him off, but somehow have him off in the sunset enjoying his life with his wife…
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I hope they go with the latter route too, Kitt! It just wouldn’t feel right to kill him off. Better to have him retire, for good, with his family. Drive off into the sunset with a baby seat in the back of a Skyline. :D
I loved The Fast & The Furious. It had a lot of charm and I thought the stunt work and the cars were amazing. It got a little more outlandish as the franchise progressed but remained an enjoyable distraction nonetheless. Also, couldn’t agree more on Tokyo Drift. The only one to make zero profit apparently, can’t say we’re surprised!
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I tried to watch that one. Honestly. I never made it past his first embarrassing race once he moved to Japan. :-/
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I’m with ya there, I think I actually fell asleep during that one!
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Nice review, V! Had a feeling this wasn’t fantastic. Also, I am lol-ing at “LOOK MA, I CAN PHYSICS!”
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Oh Cara, you would laugh at this one! Or scoff. Or most likely, like me, be perpetually rolling your eyes. I think you should watch it though, I’d love to read your review on it because that would probably be hilarious. :D
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Hahaha maybe it’ll be a resolution watch!
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LOL that’s a great idea! Speaking of, I can’t wait to watch Pan’s Labyrinth for your series, I’m hoping to have something for you early next week! :D
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Yaaayyyy!!! I think you’ll love it. Be warned–though very good, it is also very depressing.
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Ah, nice one, thank you for the tip! I always have to mentally prepare myself for the depressing ones.
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Agree with you on the best part of the film, but did not notice any speed editing when I saw it at the cinema. I loved it and it even made my top 10 of 2013.
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Perhaps it was more noticeable with a different frame-rate? It was glaringly obvious when I watched the DVD on my laptop. Like, almost as bad as the speed editing in Transporter 3 bad, and that was ridiculous. I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I not noticed it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop.
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Hello V! This was the first F&F movie I saw and I was surprised how enjoyable it was. I actually watched Fast 5 after that. “it’s an entertainingly stupid movie” Yup, but at least it was preposterously fun, unlike the super dull Die Hard 5.
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Hi Ruth! Ugh, you’re so right, Die Hard 5 was one of the worst of last year. What a disappointment. Especially considering I’m such a big fan of the earlier films. Even the fourth one had some redeeming qualities!
Considering how popular the Fast franchise is I can see it going all the way up to ten. Hopefully we won’t be saying the same about Die Hard.
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Nicely reviewed. Personally, I got a real kick out of it, but then I have a soft spot for the franchise. RIP Paul Walker.
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You’re certainly not alone there, I seem to be in a minority! But yes, RIP indeed. Sad news.
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Good write up V. I actually enjoyed watching this one, because it showed such an improvement in the series. That goes for the storyline as well if you compare it to the first few movies. I have even put it on my top 10 favourite movies of 2013 list (which is going to be published soon).
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You’re the second person now Niejan to tell me this is in their Top 2013 list! I must be missing something ;D.
I actually always preferred the storyline from the very first movie, it was simple and it (sort of) made sense compared to the later ones when they really had to reach for reasons to have everyone fight crime in fast cars. Not that there’s anything wrong with that though!
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I can honestly say I’ve never seen any F&F movie. Is that bad? Do I need to change that any time soon? I have no interest in cars or wrestlers, is this a problem?
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If you’ve no interest in cars Tom then I can probably safely say you won’t find much of interest in these films. ;D
If you’re curious though you could give the first one a whirl, I actually didn’t think that one was all that bad. Though it came out at around the same time as Gone In 60 Seconds, which I preferred, because I don’t completely despise Nic Cage.
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I’ll give them a miss I think!
And you LIKE Nicholas Cage?! Wow! Haha
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I know! How controversial is that! Mwahaha. :D
Seriously though, I don’t really mind him. I’m a strange individual! ;)
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Haha clearly!
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It’s not controversial at all. Nic Cage is awesome, even when he puts in a bad performance. :-)
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Another Nic Cage fan! Yaaayy, I’m not alone. ;P
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Loved Fast Five but it’s a joke that’s been played out for me so I don’t care about this.
Sounds like you did a Michelle Rodriguez face a few times during the film
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I sure did Mikey. Although according to some I make Michelle Rodriguez faces a lot anyway. I have an expressive face and I can’t seem to hide my discontent, so I don’t bother trying anymore. It’s why people love playing poker with me. ;)
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I hope Paul Walker gets a bigger part in the next mov… oh, wait!
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… LOL!
Too soon? I don’t know, I loled, I’m going to hell.
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This is pretty much how I feel about the movie. It’s nice for some car porn but that’s about it :]. Excellent review V.
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Thanks mate! Yeah, it got a few chuckles due to it being a bit ridiculous, and some of the cars were nice, but I totally agree that it had little else to offer.
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Nice review, you feel the majority of people. I hate muscle cars but enjoyed this movie for the unrealistic stunts and humour! By far the funniest of the six.
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Definitely! It wins for comedic effect because it was just so ridiculous, some of the stunts were just nuts. :D
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If this is car porn, what is Transformers? ha
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Hmm. Japanese car porn? :D
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Three words and I’ll be smiling for an hour. That’s why I love reading your blog!
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;)
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Lol – great review. I don’t like cars (or Vin Diesel), so these movies really aren’t for me. Your review was entertaining, though! :-)
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Haha, thank you! :D
You’re dead right for staying away from these. Even though I like cars and I like Vin Diesel, this was still pretty bad.
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Yeah, this movie’s totally nuts but I had a great time with it. Still a damn shame that’s Walker’s gone. Let’s hope that everybody involved can pick the pieces back up from where they fell and shattered. Good review.
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From what I’ve read it seems likely that they’ll be able to finish 7 adequately, but would it ever be the same? Was such an unfortunate tragedy that it happened, and pretty shocking too. Cheers Dan, thanks for the visit!
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Nice review, V. I didn’t like this one as much as 5, which for me is the high point of the series. I believe each instalment has made more money than the last, which is pretty amazing.
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Yeah it has! Except for Tokyo Drift I’m pretty sure, but we don’t count that one. ;D
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I couldn’t even get through the 1st one and you’re watching the 6th? That’s dedication right there, V!
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The things I do for love! And modified cars. ;)
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This was a cool review, but what I like about movies like this and some others I.e. Pacific Rim is that u know what u r in for. High octane action, cheesy awesome one-liners and brutal, exhilarating adventure. Unlike some other action movies that try to take themselves too serious.
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Indeed, you know what you’re getting when you go in to this. It’s going to be cheesy with unbelievable stunts and ridiculous car chase maneuvers but you’re not going to get anything that forces you to think too hard, so you can sit back, relax and turn your brain off for a couple of hours.
I tried to, I really did, but these films get more outlandish with every installment. :D Still though, it was entertaining.
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After “The Fast And The Furious,” things just got more ridiculous and entertaining. I’ve watched all six flicks, and have them multiple times except “Tokyo Drift.”
I’m still pissed that they don’t have the first generation, Genesis Coupe turbo in the movies; but there are plenty of tricked out domestics and imports that satisfy my need to watch these awesome cars at high speeds.
Yup, this is one of those ridiculous movies that is entertaining as hell. The family and friendship themes that run throughout the Diesel/Walker-contained “Fast…” movies gives them the soul that adds to the enjoyability of these movies.
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That’s true, it really is quite obvious onscreen that Diesel and Walker had a genuine friendship and rapport. And it does add to their chemistry on film, definitely agree there.
I had a couple of complaints about cars I never saw throughout the franchise too! It seemed to be a very homegrown American muscle vs imported flash with substance debate, but I always did like that they represented both sides!
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Haha THE PHYSICS!!! Good review :D
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Thanks Tim! :D
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I really like this Franchise. It is a cheese-fest, i’ll admit.
-KJ
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Total cheese-fest. But at least they know they’re a total cheese-fest!
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Not a fan of this franchise but I hated this one a little less than the rest, with ref to Vin and Dwaynes relationship, how he can go from hating cops in number 1 to working and almost becoming top pals in this one is another flaky element, Love how the Rock just didn’t change his clothes or character for 3 of his films around the time of the making, nice review.
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Yes indeed, the writers tend to forget certain important elements of their characters’ personalities when it suits certain storylines. :D I’d completely forgotten about the cop issues Dom had in the first film though, good spot.
The Rock was probably my favourite part of this one, he’s just so full of cheese, it’s great entertainment.
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Jesus Christ. 72 comments. Okay, so I’ll distinguish myself with this. The ONLY takeaway I have from this review (just kidding. . .but my favorite one) is your remark about Gina Corano being “physically impressive” — I AM WITH YOU!!!!!!! ;)
I think scenes like the tank on the hwy, and the never-ending runway scene was the franchise winking at the audience, knowing how over-the-top ridiculous they are. That’s actually not my own thought, either. I’ve seen that observation made on a number of sites and reviews and I have to admit that while these parts are off-the-scales stupid, they are made intentionally that way. But I respect you for not having the best of times at these kinds of movies. :)
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She really impressed me! Every time she came onscreen or shared the screen with Gal Gadot I thought, Hmmm. Corano would make a MUCH better Wonder Woman!
What you say about it being a wink definitely makes sense. Some of the stunts were just beyond ridiculous and I’m SURE they knew that there was no way they could pull that off without even the dimmest of the bulbs catching on to the impossibility of it all. It makes sense but I’m sure it would all still annoy the crap out of me because I’m such a pedant. ;D
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Disagree. I’m not really that into cars and I think this was one of my top movies I saw in theaters last year. I was thoroughly entertained.
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Was it the entertainment value that made this one of your top movies? And was it so entertaining purely because of the fact that it was chock-full of unbelievable action? Sorry for the questions, genuinely curious! :)
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Yes! The writing wasn’t Shakespearean lol while I’m not typically into these action heavy movies this one thoroughly entertained me.
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I don’t think it was purely entertaining because of the action, but probably mostly because of that. I also probably had lower expectations going in then most people. It was a surprising and odd mix of things that made me like it. Not a problem with the questions. :) I don’t mind.
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