Fast and Furious 6

Just reading the title of this movie amazes me. 

Fast and Furious 6. SIX!! 

Think about where the series has gone to get here. It all started with that classic first film, then the stupid second film, a third film that has aged better than many expected, and then a forgettable fourth film. 

Then in 2011 we got what might be one of the greatest examples of re-energizing a franchise ever when Fast Five crashed into theaters and made nearly everyone a fan of the series again. I know that it was certainly one of my favorite films of 2011, definitely in the Top 10. 


For those of you that don't know, this series will end next year with the seventh film. It has been planned that way ever since the fourth film came out. The order of the movies is 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 3, and then 7. This explains why Han is still alive because Tokyo Drift takes place AFTER this film. Another thing that many of you may not know: I have a new USER POLL on the right side of your screen! Take a few seconds to go and vote! 

Now that that explanation is out of the way lets get back to what we were talking about. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah I remember:

Fast and Furious 6 is absolutely, freakishly, and utterly awesome. 

They are all trying to figure out where that smell came from

I certainly had my doubts after the enormous highs that Fast Five reached, but once the trailer for Furious 6 premiered pretty much all of those worries went out the window. The series is in good hands with Justin Lin at the helm. He is probably the most inventive action director in Hollywood currently. It's a shame that he won't be directing the final film, I only hope that he can be present on set to assist the new director. But that is a discussion about the future, let's focus on right now. 

Does this need a caption other than: 
"HFS! That was awesome!"?

Right now, the Fast and the Furious franchise is THE action series to beat in Hollywood these days (not including superhero movies, they are their own breed). I would say the only other series that is on its heels is the Mission: Impossible movies. And do you want to know why this series is the leader in action right now? It's because it doesn't give a rat's ass about what is "realistic" or not, it cares about making you WOWED. Fast Five did this in spades. Case in point: the physics defying but incredibly inventive bank vault chase scene. And this next statement should give you chills: Furious 6 only turns it UP. Physics nerds: go home. This film is not for you. Unfortunately they gave away a lot of their "Wow" moments in the trailers, but there are still a few that will send shivers up your spine as you chuckle at their preposterous-ness. What Justin Lin has been able to capture on camera with cars the last two films will go down in cinema history no matter your thoughts on the franchise itself. Everyone who reads my reviews knows that I LOVE inventive action sequences. Justin Lin makes these movies for people like me. He takes his time to craft a sequence, lay out the details, and incorporate stunts that many of us have never dreamed of (a car driving out of the front of a freaking plane?). I give him a HUGE kudos not just for Furious 6 but for Fast Five as well.

There is about 2,189.37 pounds of shoulder muscle in this still shot

Much like its predecessor, Furious 6 has a lot more to do than car chases though, which is probably where the series has changed the most. It has a few shootouts that are intense (although the use of shaky cam is evident and annoying) as well as some brutal fist fights. The final cargo plane fight is a little disjointed and kind of hard to tell what is going on, but we still get some awesome scenes nonetheless. In particular, there is a fight between Michelle Rodriguez and Gina Carano that is super rough. Any women that think that this is just a man's movie will be sorely mistaken when they see these two chicks go at it. But as good as the other action scenes are, my mind still wonders back to the cars. There are at least three car-based action scenes from this film that I will remember for a long time. The introduction of the flip car is so damn cool, and then we have a highway tank chase scene that cranks the insanity up to 12, AND THEN we have an action scene with a plane and a bunch of cars. The highlight is clearly the tank chase, but the other two are very nearly as memorable. 

The flip car. It doesn't actually flip cars, it blows
up concrete pillars as it drives past them

I think many people will be surprised to find that this film is hilarious too. The last one was pretty funny, but if there is one place where Furious 6 beats its predecessor it's in the comedy department. Most of these laughs are from Roman (Tyrese) just being...well, Roman. Not to mention some of the action, while I don't think it means to be funny, is. For example, apparently Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) just loves to jump from moving vehicles. Like all the time. And the runway in the plane scene? It must be 20 miles long. It's all just a really fun time with a lot of laughs to be had among all the action. In fact, looking back over the movies that have come out so far this year I would say that Furious 6 is the funniest movie of the year with 21 and Over being its only competition. 

Too bad Disney can't make a movie about cars this good.
Oooooooo burn!

The most badass guy and girl in Hollywood:
Does anyone else smell a power couple forming?
Literally.

Furious 6 continues the theme of family that is prevalent throughout the series and a few movies ago I thought it was super cheesy. Since then, the notion has grown on me and that's largely due to the cast that these movies assemble. They are fantastic and dare I say one of the best in Hollywood right now. Dom, Brian, Hobbs, Mia, Letty, Roman, Han, Gisele, Tej; they are all memorable characters and fun in their own right. And you know what? They do feel like a family. There is a chemistry among this cast that is special and often a rarity in Hollywood. If you were to look at their mini soap opera on paper you would think it is cheesy and juvenile. When you see it in motion on screen, well it's still kind of cheesy, but it works. It just flat out works. I think many of us are far more invested in these characters than we would have admitted two movies ago, I know I am. 

What's even more impressive is how easy they can insert newcomers into the mix and make them feel like part of the gang. They did it last time with Johnson and he ended up becoming the star of the show. This time, Luke Evans plays the villain Shaw that is far more intimidating than the previous film's villain ever was. Additionally, the stunning Gina Carano is here to kick some butt. She's fun for the most part, but seems intimidated by everyone else which surprises me after how good she was in Haywire. But regardless, she still fits. Michelle Rodriguez slides comfortably back into place and I even think I liked her more in this movie than any of the others. 

The movie has its missteps and ultimately I think Fast Five is the better film. But for a franchise on its SIXTH! movie, it still amazes me that it can be this entertaining and have me excited enough for a seventh and final film. It shows almost no signs of slowing down and that has me already excited, especially after the awesome pre-credits sequence with a huge star reveal. Suffice it to say that the villain in 7 will be the best so far. 

Fast and Furious 6 is why we go to the movies. It's got the magic, it's got characters that we care about, it's funny, it drops our jaws, and most importantly: it's fun...all at 150 miles per hour. 

Pros:

• Justin Lin needs a shout out here for completely turning this franchise around with the last two films. 5 and 6 are of almost identical quality and he keeps changing the game effectively. Not to mention he can direct the hell out of a car scene
• The action is the best of the year so far. Right up there with Iron Man 3 and surpassing Star Trek. The gunfights are mostly average, the fist fights are intense, but the car sequences are obnoxious in the best sense of the word
• Hilarious. Reminds me of The Avengers...it just feels naturally funny. Not many jokes feel forced and for an action film that is quite an accomplishment
• This cast is one for the ages and it truly feels like a family now. Everyone has equal moments to shine and their own special quirks and abilities. All actors and actresses are perfect for their roles
• Gina Carano, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, and Gal Gadot. I don't really need to explain myself further do I?
• Luke Evans is great as a newcomer and a villain
• The pre-credits scene that promises so much more to come with the addition of a huge star
• Did I mention how much fun it is?

Cons:

• Plot-wise it works, but it has a considerable more amount of cheese than the previous installment. Sometimes it feels like the plot was designed around the action sequences. In addition, the plot twist regarding one of the new characters is poorly done. It comes out of nowhere, wasnt necessary, and doesn't make any sense. It was a twist for the sake of having a twist
• The script is funny and characters stay true to themselves, but it can be overly dramatic sometimes
• Questionable CGI from time to time
• Unfortunately, a bunch (read: nearly all) of the cool moments were given away in the trailers. They are still really cool to see within the context of the movie, but I think I would be tacking on an extra half point of "wow-factor" had I not seen some of the best stunts several times over before the movie

Rath's Review Score: 9/10