Fast & Furious

After two films that strayed away from the very first that made the franchise popular, producers to The Fast and the Furious (2001) decided to finally bring back the original cast and big name stars. That was one of their best decisions that have been made. It's baffling to why they thought changing the cast would really benefit them in any way. All it does is create resent and a disconnect with the new characters. Fans don't appreciate that. However, this is not the only difference brought to this ongoing series. The original cast returns but the story changes. Oh yes, there's still an abundance racing cars but it's for a different reason.

The story reunites Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) again to help in the arrest of a Cartel who is secretly making drug shipments in and out of the border of Mexico. However, these events only happen under very coincidental circumstances. The writer behind this installment is Chris Morgan, the same man behind The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). Morgan's writing is articulated in a way that still incorporates racing but it's no longer about who's packing nitro next to their driver's seat anymore. That part, fans should enjoy and this is really its strongest element. However, what Morgan still can't accomplish is a narrative that is cohesive enough that makes sense in its continuity. Just why exactly was Tokyo Drift (2006) made if they planned on making a prequel to it 3 years later?

Also, the character of Brian O'Conner is getting a tad redundant. He still lies and he drops the FBI after 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), but now is working for the FBI of L.A. And this would be fine and all if he would stop being such a rule breaker. O'Conner just can't seem to follow the rules he swore to uphold. Why doesn't he just stop working for the FBI - it doesn't benefit him. Thankfully, O'Conner no longer has a love interest problem. He's stuck with Mia and that's it. Character wise, there aren't much of any new appearances except for the antagonists. Toretto is back along with his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodgriguez) and sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). The only character that makes a subtle change is Paul Walker at which most girls will think he's the next heartthrob. Instead of having wavy surfer hair and wearing casual clothing, he now has a tux and a straight crew cut. Yeah, I could see why.

The action is still fierce too. Instead of collaborating frequently on the town alleyways, the driving sequences also expand to broader horizons with larger landscapes and less tar. It'll give the audience something new to look at instead of the neon high beams and flashing traffic lights. The special effects also conform well to their surroundings; nothing looks out of place. Lastly, the franchise has finally found a solid contender to compose a score and that is Brian Tyler. During some very sentimental scenes, Tyler is able to emphasize those moments with the right emotion. Yet, Tyler is still lacking a distinctive theme for this franchise, which is a shame. He is an accomplished composer. Overall, a better sequel than the last two.

With the original cast back and a story that involves more than just fast cars, this installment starts to resurrect what it had going for it from the start. Its continuity nonetheless is a totally different issue that still needs addressing.

I just saw this and to be honest I was hesitant in buying the $8 matinée ticket but wanted to see a movie and figured what the heck. First of all the 1st film was good, IMO the sequel and then Tokyo Drift were pretty bad but the 4th installment gave a ray of hope when I first saw the trailer. I liked the fact that it had a large part of the original cast.

I enjoyed this film and was surprised. They actually wrote a good story and it flowed very well, the action and driving scene's were shot and edited superbly, you did get the feeling that you were in the car at times which adds to the intensity of the driving scenes. I also like the fact that they incorporated American muscle cars instead of just imports this way the movie will appeal to people of all tastes. Overall I was pleasantly surprised of how good the film was. Also the final scene of Phoenix's demise was different than the norm. Bottom line Go see it.

Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) have escaped to the Dominican Republic and resume their criminal ways. However when the cops close in on Dom, he decides to leave everything behind including Letty. Later he finds that Letty has been killed while working for drug baron Braga who is using street racers to drive his drugs across the border. Only he doesn't know that Letty was working for Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) as an informant. Now Dom and Brian are both trying to get Braga by infiltrating his group as drivers.

The family is back and the movie is so much the better for it. Director Justin Lin returns after Tokyo Drift. The franchise really missed the presence of Vin Diesel. The only minor disappointment are the car chases. They're good but just not great. They can be better. It's also sad to lose Letty so early on in the movie. It misses her energy.

This is one of these 107-minute testosterone movies guys crave every once in awhile, some more than others. Being a somewhat-old guy, I don't look as these as often anymore but every once in awhile it's fun to kick back and just watch fast cars, loose women, wild action and fairly-brainless film.

There isn't much of a plot but my guess is people who are fans of this film series don't care. Just give us the above - muscle cars, macho men, sexy babes and a few great chase scenes - and that's all that is asked. I thought the best scene was the first one, a chase down mountain in the Dominican Republic. That was like a James Bond opening scene: a real attention-getter.

After that, you get the normal F&F material, which glamorizes things that shouldn't be (racing through crowded streets, etc.) but also has the "good" guys going to capture a drug lord from Mexico.....and a lot of punks along the way. They all sneer and have a lot of tattoos.

I've only seen this one and the first in the series but from what I read here, I've seen the two best of the four Fast & Furious films. Vin Diesel helps make them a notch above the others, I suspect. He's always interesting as "Dom Toretto" and his character is the most credible.

Once again, it follows the same plot points as some of the previous installments but Fast and Furious is still fun and its beginning to embrace the ridiculousness. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker give great performances and it's nice to see them back in the same film. John Ortiz is a really good villain. The action and car chases are also really good as usual.