Fast and Furious

On a lark I took the boys to go see Fast and Furious. I was expecting a loud and fast thrill ride and this movie did not disappoint. For those keeping score, this is the 4th movie in the series. The new movie has the same name as the original minus the definite article the. The movie starts with an action sequence that is just as far fetched as the opening sequence of a James Bond movie. There are two parts to this opening. Each part shows you what our two stars have been doing since the last movie. The trailers that I saw prior to the movie both used clips from these opening scenes rather than parts from later in the movie. This is a good thing so I knew relatively nothing about the movie.

Michelle Rodriguez (Liddy) is killed in the opening sequence and we spend the rest of the movie tracking down the killer. Rather than a Dirty Harry revenge story, our stars go ask the bad guy for a job. The bad guy requires them to drive in a race for the job. Everybody has a muscle car or some other 10-second import. The absurdity is just plain fun. They proceed to dispense with whatever pretense of plot they used to get the movie made and spend the next 90 minutes racing around on the screen.

Having see the first movie helps. Jordana Brewster plays Vin Diesel’s sister is unclear at first if you had not already been introduced. There is a nod to the 3rd movie, Tokyo Drift. I didn’t see any references to the second movie but I wasn’t looking for them. This movie lacks the originality and character depth of the first movie but is superior to the other two sequels. I would have liked to have seen Michelle Rodriguez’s character have more screen time. I wonder if that was the actor’s choice or something else.

The end of the movie goes out at the beginning of an action sequence. You are left to wonder what will happen next. But then again, you know what would happen next. Even Vin’s character is mildly amused. He has the “Here we go again” look. My thought is that the story just does not end. I do not expect a sequel because I think this was Vin Diesel’s way of closing out the franchise.

I recommend this movie as a rental. Get it on Netflix