Transformers, G.I. Joe, Resident Evil, and The Expendables. When one mentions pulpy summer blockbusters, these are some of the more commonly thought of names lately. They serve one real purpose: be big, be loud and bring in money (ok that's three but the main one is the money). They can be forgettable. They can be stupid. But as long as they bring in a crowd then who cares.
I'm not trying to fool myself. The Fast & Furious franchise fits into the same category as these other films. However, I believe it has managed to surpass them all in quality and entertainment value, even as it releases its sixth installment in the series.
The first thing that Fast & Furious 6 does right, is that it's completely self aware and it knows who it's audience is. It's trailers are clear examples of this. Showing fast cars, crazy stunts, and over the top action, nobody is going to be tricked into going to see this thinking they're getting an enlightened experience. The film even opens with a great recap of the previous installments in the series during the opening credits. By doing this the film gives anyone new or old to the series the minimal amount of information needed to keep the continuity going. This also shows that story-wise, there hasn't been a lot going on.
This approach works. There isn't much story here and it's the way it should be for this type of film. The plot has a few moments that linger on the relationship of two of the main cast members, and this is one of the only places it stumbles. Other than that it's a simple premise. Bad guys steal things. Former bad guys get coerced into helping law enforcement. Bad guys tackle with former bad guys. Former bad guys win.
That's a pretty poor plot summary, but honestly, that's all you need to know. There's very little story for the action to get snagged on. The fun of this movie comes from everything else that it does fantastically.
While the Fast and Furious franchise has steered clear of the street racing genre it began with, and has become more of a heist/action series, it still hits the mark with fast and sexy cars. The cars here are gorgeous and the chases are some of the best out there. It helps that everything is going too fast to really stop and think about how ridiculous it all is at times. But it's incredibly entertaining nonetheless. I did feel this movie was a little darker than it's predecessor, which took away from some of the chase sequences. Fast cars in dark, tight, European roads don't look as appealing as they do in the well lit streets of Brazil.
One area the series has, and continues to improve, is in the action sequences (vehicular and non-vehicular). I loved the amount of fighting that went on here. With actors such as Dwayne Johnson and Johannes Taslim it would be a shame to let their physical talents go to waste (for those not aware, Johannes Taslim starred in a little movie called The Raid: Redemption last year). Director Justin Lin takes full advantage of Johnson's staggering build and Taslim's martial arts background.
But he also includes everybody else into the mix. The rest of the cast hold their own (sometimes hilariously), even though they don't quite have the same presence on screen as Johnson. But who does really? He makes Vin Deisel look like a chump.
They also don't shy away from large action sequences. Bringing in a tank and a giant cargo jet, it at times feels like they're striving to push the bar too much, but it never does. The ridiculousness of it is filtered by the entertaining characters and their interaction between each other, and Justin Lin adds a sense of tension to these sequences that will have you on the edge of the seat.
Another huge plus for me was the female cast. I don't know if I've ever seen such a strong cast of women in a genre that is typically predominately male cast. The addition of the physical Gina Carano, and the choice to bring Michelle Rodriguez back into the game, set up for a couple rewarding fight sequences. Carano may not be able to act her way out of a paper bag but the girl knows how to fight. And I absolutely love Rodriguez and was thrilled to see her back. But it's not just limited to them. None of the women just sit back and watch the action pass you by. They're in the thick of it with the guys and they more than hold their own in every regard.
I can sit here for hours and talk about all the things I love but I'll stop it now. I feel I'm getting my point across. There's a lot to love here. I strongly urge anybody with a love of good action to go see this. Don't judge it by the past movies or it's ridiculously over-the-top style. This series is one of the rare ones that has fine tuned itself over the years and has evolved with it's audience. You just need to know "how" to watch a movie like this. Leave your skepticism at the door. Don't expect any award winning performances. This is still pulpy fun like the movies I mentioned at the beginning. It just happens to be the best of them.
*I gave Fast & Furious 6 a 7/10 on IMDB.
**Stick around after the credits as well. They do an amazing setup for the next movie.
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