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I have never seen the first three films in the Fast/Furious franchise. I went to a screening of the fourth, Fast and Furious, in order to conduct a research experiment that I’ve been wanting to try for awhile: how do late-in-the game sequels parcel out information about the worlds their predecessors have created, and do they even try to convert new fans, or simply satisfy old ones? Keeping in mind that I entered into this enterprise with science as a primary motivator over criticism, here is a summary of my findings:
1. In the first scene, Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel are together in a car, driving alongside an oil truck on a twisty mountain road. Apparently in cahoots with two other pairs in two other cars (both of whom, audience reaction would suggest, are familiar from previous films in the franchise), Vin and Michelle are planning to use their driving skills to steal gas. When the time is right, Michelle kisses Vin (thus telling us that they are a couple — and, since IMDB indicates they haven’t been in a Fast & Furious film together since the franchise’s opening salvo in 2001, they’ve presumably been together without incident for the eight years in between), then climbs out the window of the moving car, announcing the film’s rallying cry and raison d’etre as she moves: “Let’s make some money!” Wink wink, LOL y’all, although in a world where Tina Fey addresses the sponsors of the TV show she produces whilst in front of the camera as its star, for a quadquel to pointedly anticipate and address criticism that it’s a stale leftover reheated for cash before the opening action setpiece even kicks into high gear, feels weirdly stale and reheated in itself.
2. At the end of the gas-stealing action blowout that opens the film, something that seems very important becomes apparent regarding Vin Deisel’s character, Domino Torretto. This is a man who has a fundamental spiritual relationship with the road, and/or cars, and/or something, one which convinces him its a good idea to calmly stare at a burning oil tank rolling towards him, ignoring his girlfriend’s plaintive squeals, waiting for just the right moment to drive directly into it; he not only doesn’t fear death, but drives into it and survives. It’s a given, then, that a death that Dom can’t prevent is necessary for the story to proceed.
3. The fundamental building block of these movies seems to be the race/chase ending shot sequence of Diesel swerving his muscle car to a sharp stop screen right, ready for his through-the-passenger-window close-up, which consists of the actor furrowing his brow, with mechanical precision and just on cue. As punctuation to even a not-very-good driving sequence, this eyebrow twitch is unexpectedly awesome.
4. There is a lot of girl-on-girl kissing in this film; it seems to be director Justin Lin’s PG-13-safe visual shorthand for the hedonism of the morally specious world in which the heroes immerse themselves in the name of a greater good. The correlation between girls kissing and intolerable uncoolness is made so blatant that one obvious dickwad is even punished while hosting a sapphic scene in his living room. His crime? Being an obvious dickwad in a shaky position of superiority.
5. What’s interesting about that kind of stuff, if also somewhat noxious, is the way it supports the film’s thesis that all violence against any kind of authority figure is fundamentally just. The cops are impotent dicks, to the point where the film doesn’t have to work hard to get the audience to cheer when undercover agent Brian (Paul Walker) punches out a colleague and commits crime after crime as a “fuck you” to ineffectual business as usual. At the same time, crooks are privy to certain niceties and lifestyle liberties that are to be envied, but the bad guys themselves are still clearly colored as enemies, who simply need to die in order to make the world a better place. But…
6. They’re both anti-heroes, but Dom’s arc (career criminal with a heart of gold, avenging his slain partner, unafraid of his own fate) is much more interesting than Brian’s (bitchy, prone to petty violence, equally unconvincing as import-fetishizing street racer and as roof-jumping detective). Maybe this is Walker’s fault –– his total lack of charisma makes Vin Deisel, in comparison, pop off the screen like a legitimate mega-star, even though his repertoire is pretty much limited to a cold stare, a growl, and that aforementioned eyebrow tic — but if his character is a model of how to appeal to one’s vices while still doing right in the world, what kid watching wouldn’t gravitate towards and even aspire to be the unapologetic law defying Dom instead? This film could easily carry a subtitle –– The Fast and The Furious: Fuck Tha Police.
7. Ultimately, F & F spends much of its running time struggling to match the vitality and energy, the “oh shit!”-inspiring implausibility, of that oily opening sequence. The only thing that came close, for me, was a bit towards the end of the film where Diesel, driving alongside an opponent in a narrow tunnel, strategically flings open his own driver’s side door while still in motion, so that a pole in the center of the tunnel will rip it off. He then climbs out of his own car and through the window of his enemy’s, swiftly disposes of him and commandeers his vehicle. It’s a stunt that would be so spatially and physically impossible in real life that it’s very existence on screen seems to wink at the enterprise of “top this!” action sequences. Furious is at its best when it’s playing as comedy, the tropes of the franchise at the center of the jokes.
8. Why do people go to movies like this? It must be for the fantasy element, the worlds they create that look enough like the world we live in, but allow for all manner of transgressions with no firm real-world consequences. Why do they keep going (if they do) from sequel to sequel? If Fast & Furious is any indication, all the makers really need to do is offer a strong start and an out-of-nowhere cliffhanger of a finish with actual stakes to insure engagement. I can count on half a hand the things I found appealing about the middle fifty minutes of this movie, but I’ll be damned if I don’t want to know what happens next with the guys with the cars and Vin Diesel on the bus and … well, I don’t want to say too much…
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We’ve had a bit of trouble getting this episode to go through the iTunes feed, so we hope this re-post will fix the problem. The original post, with episode description and embedded player, is here.
filmcouch-114
If your gonna write a review….Please watch the first 3 movies.
The ENTIRE POINT of what I wrote was that I was assessing the movie based on not having seen its predecessors… but I guess you didn’t get that.
its just a fun movie, but you are to sad and emo and to busy picking out black clothes to have any kind of care free fun.
Wow… Reading comprehension - it’s always a nice skill to have. Especially when leaving comments regarding what you just supposedly read.
Dear Karina Longsworth,
Review Reader 1 didnt get the “clue“ that you was assesing the movie based on not seen the previous movies.
I think that its a good review.
But still,i think its a good idea to watch the three previous movies,to get a “glimp“ of whats the movie all about.
I suggest only to watch the first two,cause i dont get the tokyo drift movie.
it doesnt really fit in the whole story line.
(!!!! if you react,please send an email !!!!)
Dutch Review Reader
This movie was actually set to be after the fast and the furious so it is an interquel. So Dom and Letty actually havent been together for 8 years more like 1 or 2.
Real Critics reviewed this movie over 4 months ago and gave it a 4/5. This movie has brought back what American Culture is all about. Muscle Cars. No more little 4 cylinder sticker box cars that are from Japan or Europe with their coffee can exhausts. This is an action packed movie that will send fans into a thrill of excitement. Look at Death Race! It got a 2/5 by after critics such as you and viewers loved it on a 5/5 scale. Its all about the action with these racing movies, not the story.
I loved the movie! I was a fan of the first and thought the third was pretty awesome.
Yes, the acting was bad but there was something about it that kept me entertained and I am a 19 year old female. Maybe it had something to do with Vin Diesel’s muscle appeal
ITS Dominic Toretto NOT DOMINO.
“Why do people go to movies like this? It must be for the fantasy element,…”
Seriously, are you for real?…its the reason everyone goes to the movies. This is Fast and Furious - the franchise is based on fast cars, glimpses of fine lookin’ females and very little else including story line or continuity - if you want anything more than that you’re in the wrong movie…sorry, you picked the wrong franchise to run your experiment on.
Great use of ‘Dickwad’, by the way…thats some fine writing right there.
i understand the point of your review. its always daunting to jump in the middle of a series and hope to know whats going on. but i also think you have read way too much into some things. first thing is the movie may have a story line and a plot, but 99% of all people that see the movie are only there to see the cars. honestly i could care less who stars in the movie, what they are doing, why they are doing it, just as long as i get to see nice fast cars. i try to be a universal car guy, appreciating all cars, but i do tend to lean more towards european cars so it was very nice to see a proper european car in this one, a Ford RS200. all the other movies were quite disappointing in this department.
the entire point of the movie is entertainment, mostly for car people, and more specifically asian import car people.
there are a few things i have noticed in seeing the previous three movies(im going to see FnF tonight). first thing ive noticed is that in all the diversity in these supposedly fast cars seen throughout the filsm i have not seen 1 Mazda Miata. the miata is the worlds best-selling roadster, it is also probably the worlds most common amateur road racing car. with at least 4 professional racing series where the miata is the only car permitted. capable of performance that is right with most of the cars shown in the movies. this is disappointing.
im very surprised that there isnt more product placement in the movies since they are geared more towards the asian import scene.
its simply entertainment, something for us car guys to sit around and talk about all of the inconsistencies throughout the films.
if you really want to watch any sequel you should rent the previous movies . . kind of like watching the last matrix film and giving it a big thumbs down with out seeing the fist few films. cops are people too, they can be dicks! in fact they’re bigger dicks because they have authority
5/5 stars from me, it had muscle cars, imports, hot chicks, and “dominos” sister! lol
These aren’t exactly reviewable movies. Last night at a sold-out F&F midnight opening in the Detroit suburbs, kids were doing parking lot burnouts at 2 AM in Mustangs and Type R’s. You either get it or you don’t. Not much middle ground.
For those who understand, the highlight was the look on Paul Walker’s face when he was choosing his undercover ride. “I want them all!”
There is a reference to Tokyo drift at the start where Han mentions he will go to Tokyo. Seeing as Han was also in Tokyo drift movie its safe to assume this takes place before or roughly the same time especially since our man Dom shows up right at the end
FnF takes place approximately 5 years after tFatF, mia says it clearly in the coffee shop.
great movie. much better than i expected. still ALOT of inconsistencies to talk about and throw around(tires squealing on dirt, capabilities of cars……..) which i expected. if i wanted realism ill go watch Le Mans or Grand Prix. which by the way are the 2 greatest racing movies EVER.
Here is a idea for you since you want to try to write reviews.Number one is you need to know what you are talking about if you are going to judge a film! Number two, you dont even need to review a movie that is a sequel and you havent watched the first ones. What kind of airhead writes a review about a movie and dont even know its history or anything about the movie.Do us all a favor and quit writing reviews because it is a job you are not even remotely qualified for.
Why dont u stop BITCHING the movie and start enjoying it
u claim u start with science as your goal bull**** all u say and do is critisism and if u havent seen the first 3 how can u know anyway if its lacking in other movies
your a joke
Well this is just one of those movie franchises if you don’t LOVE fast cars and questionable storylines you won’t get this one it conects eveything from all three previous movies I belive this takes place after the second movie because brian is a fed agent but the driving scenes. Were really good the cars were more scattered between japanese euro and american and there is no real bashing of either which is good for the verry divided car culture right now. and as far as the kid thing with fukc the police I seen the first movie when I was young and it was more ftp then this one and I have had import cars all my life and I don’t feel any differently because of a movie I feel differently twards cops because of the way THEY treated me not wwhat some movie said
Thanks
QUOTE : “Why do people go to movies like this? It must be for the fantasy element, the worlds they create that look enough like the world we live in, but allow for all manner of transgressions with no firm real-world consequences.”
ermmm, its fiction, every single movie you have ever seen is fiction, even the one’s based on true stories, they do this to make the movie entertaining, and not a boring fart like yourself.
Most of this review write up has bollox all to do with your “science test” and is just an opportunity for you to slag off someone elses work designed to entertain the public.
Fuck off and make your movie which even makes 1/10th of the money this one does.
PS. reading general reviews over the web, i am noticing the common trend of woman having low opinion, and men generally enjoying it.
Get the hint, if you don’t like butch movies, stick to your crap chick-flix
Karina, people watch movies like this for the same reason they watch pornography - to see a fantastic event, heightened past the point of reality and into the world of a fantasy most would not be willing to ever take part in. It is not about thinking about character, morality, or even the image of American ideal, it is about seeing cars go faster than they can go in the real world, and knowing that that is awesome.
Why do people watch shows about real estate they cannot afford, or cooking shows too elaborate to follow, or painting shows when they have no creative talent? Etc.
Let me get this straight, you decided to conduct a “science experiment” on a no-brainer action movie, which was made purely as a way to excite audiences, and offer plot as an afterthought? Poor, poor you.
I’m a car guy, and I will be going to se this film as a car guy. I dont think the producers made this film for 45 year old uppity single women.
If they did, it would be politically correct, & would be a Martha Stewart-esque film about money & homemaking.
And maybe you should view the other 3 films in the series, before you begin stating facts which are clearly wrong. You would know they were wrong if you had viewed the other films, and saved yourself typing, as well as everyone correcting you in the comments here.
These comments are hilarious.
Thanks April 1st. The gift that keeps on giving!
OMG KARINA UR SO WRONG. WHY DONT YOU REVIEW A MOVEE BASED ON OTHER MOVEEZ THAT MADE LOTS OF CASH MONEY WITH FAST CARZ AND LIEK IT AS MUCH AS OTHER MOVEEZ.
These comments are great! It’s like your review is the gift that keeps on giving.
Ah but Randall, would you say that this was the gift that kept on giving?
Ok Fast and Furious was great! I hope they make a 5th. Ok, I’m sure they will, but if it’s going to be the last one they have to go out with a bang! This is my story line for a 5th. The FBI does not have a clue that Brain helped free Vin at the end of Fast and Furious. So, he’s still FBI. They are working with a European Task Force, The Drug Lord dude from 2Fast 2 Furious has escaped from prison, and has a new operation over in a Europe smuggling guns between London, Tokyo, and the U.S. He sponsors a professional racing team, but this is their cover. They are really there to help him smuggle the weapons. The FBI has Brain to put his own team together. To bring Tyrese character back we’ll have to drug dealer dude to kill his soon to be wife play by Rihanna (if she’s still hot by this time, because remember he did say he’d be seeing Tyrese at the end of 2fast 2furious). Brain and Tyrese go to Tokyo the get Vin, but wait they are short a fourth driver that were lucus Black comes in. The FBI issues them their cars. By helping the FBI, this time they really let Vin free. There are many races in the movie but the big 2 races will between Vins team against the Drug lord’s team. The final big race will come at the end, as a race between Vin, Brian, Tyrese, and Lucus. It should end like Tokyo Drift, leaving the viewer to decide who wins! The theme of The Fast and the Furious is family, Vin, Brian, Tyrese, and Lucus with be the family coming from different back grounds with different driving style, trying to get along for one common goal!
wow your just uncool. This is a great movie. And that description about the scene where Dom drives toward the oil tank is just bonified badass. You obviously need to get your head on straight its a movie, deal with it. You’re wicked boring.
What a pointless movie! The whole storyline didn’t make sense and the timing didn’t fit with the 3 other movies!!! Why not build on the last movie instead of going backwards?!
How is Paul Walker still a cop when going into the second movie he got kicked off the force?
The whole movie was stupid. The cars were not that great at all, not like the first 3. If you have to see this movie, please rent and don’t waste the movie to see it in theaters!
Fast & Furious is a prequel to Tokyo Drift. that is why you see Han (one of the main characters in Tokyo Dirft) in this one. The movie pretty much shows what happens prior to Tokyo Drift and how Dominic and Han were linked. This is why you see Dominic at the end scene of Tokyo Drift.
In essence they could make two sequels out of the result of Fast & Furious. One that shows how and what happens after they get Dominic out of the bus at the end and another showing what happens after Tokyo Drift when the race takes of between Dominic and the country boy in Tokyo Drift.
You asked why people go to movies like this and I honestly don’t think it’s particularly these types of movies that attract me, but the actual franchise itself.
I’m the biggest fan of this movie series, but I’ll be the first to admit that the acting is horrible, the plot isn’t something overtly original, and the action scenes tend to be WAY over the top.
The reason I DO see it time and time again lies in the fact that my friends and I are all heavily involved in automotive tuning, be it racing, building, and sometimes even destroying cars.
When the first movie came out, it was rife with SO many automotive inaccuracies that we would all just watch the movie over and over again to make fun of that and the various improbable (maybe even impossible) situations the characters get themselves in.
After a while, it became that movie that you could always watch to get a laugh and sadly the worse it got the more entertaining it was.
The fact that other people watch this movie and attempt to talk to you about “automotive tuning” with things they’ve heard from the movie is icing on the cake.
Beyond the people who mimic the script, I have no idea why other people watch this movie. If you didn’t enjoy the first few or if you come into the theater with high expectations, you will probably be disappointed.
The fast and furious movie was a fuckin waste of my time and the only people who will enjoy this movie are men and lesbian bitches!
Honestly! Theres little to no racing in it and the graphics were fuckin gay! Like i cant believe i spent my money on this peice of shit! I was deff expecting alot more decent cars and alot more racing instead of on and off scenes of a guys walking through shit clubs where dikes are kissing and there asses are covering my fuckin screen! At least the first movie to this one had some topless guys! this one…..not so much! If yoru gonna put hot guys in the movie you might as well show a little bit of skin! Most women in that theatre were probubly looking for some male action to and not fuckin bitches! The bitches pissed me off the most. and The WRX! We had to wait till the last second of the movie to see it fuckin drive and crash!!!! and the guys dead was brutal! I woulda fucked the guy up, not a sappy ending of, OOPS! I accidently crashed my car into you! bye! THE MOVIE WAS SHIT!
You’re taking a lot of crap from these people. Your college essay was chock full of big words and alliteration (”and, since IMDB indicates blah blah blah blahhhhhhhhh”) . Good for you! Unfortunately, our rubric calls for actual pros and cons, and hints about SPOILER ALERTS!!!!! I saw this movie, and out of all 4 movies, I think the first and second take the cake. The fourth.. idk, the opening scene was too much for me. I realize it’s supposed to be an action movie, but I lost credability when all the cars were driving backwards just as fast as they were going forwards.
Pros:
-Questions you might’ve had in the earlier movies are answered here, but I’m not going into detail.
-Race scenes, you’ve got your standard point to point racing with minor unexpected action that make you begging for more.
Cons:
I was really pulling for this movie, I’m a fan of the tuners, customizing, and neon lights :p This movie felt more like a soap opera on steroids. The acting was good, but the plot just sucked. More than a few scenes I felt like there was a gap between what happened and what’s happening now, so it confused me why they were on the beach, then all of a sudden at a funeral, but maybe I just fell asleep from lack of interest.
In all, I had high expectations for this movie, but was sadly disappointed compared to the previous movies, which had more production value. Even Tokyo Drift looked better than this movie. I would recommend looking for discounted tickets if you do wish to see it, maybe we’re missing something here =[8^D->–<
I was looking for a review, not a synopsis. People don’t want to read a plot summary under the guise of a review.
someone said RS2000, lol!! hahaha
Everything makes sense to me now. When Han warns Dom that the Feds are on to them, Dom tells him to leave while he can. So Han decides to go to Japan because “big things are happening there” hence “Tokyo Drift”. I understand that Dom’s reason for vengence is his love for Letty but I think they killed her off too soon. I feel the movie should have incorporated more cars a third race right after they steal the oil, during the party scene. I love the cliffhanger in the end, it made me feel like the movie was too short. Dom was way too serious, but given his motive I understand. There were certain scenes in which he didn’t need to be so tough but that woould mean Vin Diesel spicing up his acting faces (he’s not capable of such thing). As for TAURUS’s fifth version plot…I like except how did Dom get to Tokyo? I think also Paul’s boss should find out that it was the other guy who gave the order to attack Brag, even though the girl had the prints but no photo indicating the old man was Brag. And anyway i knew from the beginning it was the other guy. You can tell by the look on his face. He should escape prison and lead a new operation in Tokyo. I also agree that the movies “fuck tha police” message does not inspire audiences to feel that way, it’s their past experiences with the authorities. I’ve heard enough stories to know that there are many cops out there without souls TRUST!!!!
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I loved this review! Awesome and honest and true. What a great idea to watch it without seeing the first few to see if you’re still drawn in!!
I was digging number 4. I hope you don’t mind i had to quote you in my review on the blog. No on could sum it up like you have! Thinking outside of the ‘fun movie’ box. I wont’ give you a long comment to read, but I did enjoy the movie. I’m oddly a fan ahaha. I”m a car fanatic, and I enjoy Walker and Vin’s acting… (I look for things and if I find them I like the actor…I’m a screenwriter)
I went to see this one having enjoyed the first two. I was drawn by the cars ahaha, and I was drawn by the relationships between the characters I enjoyed in the first two. I have a similar calling for ‘crazy.’ I enjoyed the aspect of following your adrenaline ahaha. However, it works much better in a movie than it does in real life, as long as you separate the two it’s enjoyable. But for all those that can’t I agree with all of what you said it’s darn right true. I won’t lie I take my truck out and just speed and play in the dirt like a crazy woman but I love it, it’s who I am. Another reason I suppose I am drawn to the film lol. (however I’d never race in the streets where I could kill people..that seems to not be mentioned in these movies…well besides the horn honky in the alley scene.)
Love the eyebrow mention lol and the f the police ahahaha.
tokyo drift is actually the fourth film and the new fast and furious is the third
I really was dissapointed with this film
Didn’t enjoy it at all
It was great to see Vin again. But this part was really a car/guy movie thing…… not really for me!
you just dont get the movie. period. what’s the point of watching sequels if ya didnt watch the previous movies? totally stupid.
you dont have to be a genius to realize that.
get a life, go out more. watching all franchise of the movie will not make you “not-emo” LOL.
“Karina Longworth said 3 weeks ago
The ENTIRE POINT of what I wrote was that I was assessing the movie based on not having seen its predecessors… but I guess you didn’t get that.”
–creep what’s the point of watching a SEQUEL if ya didnt watch the movies prior to it? LOL
I WATCH THIS MOVIES MAINLY BECAUSE OF TEH CARS!!
i loved the movie
and i love paul walker
he is soooo sexxyyyy
love u paul walker
Hey ! …..well actually
The first movie was the first one (OF COURSE)
The second movie was the fourth one
The third one was the third one
The fourth movie was the second one (5 years after)
____________________________________________
Just kidding
____________________________________________
And guess what?
The fifth one would be minus under root 5.
I think it goes
1)The fast and the furious 1
2)The fast and the furious 4
3)2 fast 2 furious
4)Tokyo drift
But it still dont make since ecause he isnt with doms sis in 2 fast 2 furious and plus he is with another chick. I guess you can say him and doms sis broke up he moved to miami but in the 5th installment he breaks up with that chick in miami and him and tyrese meet up with dom and saun in tokyo and brian gets back with doms sis. So it will be surfer dude and mr drive muscle cars and country boy and dont forget the hongry black guy lol i just had to say that
if u call this great movie crap or dissapointing again, i may have to get violent and kill you