Fast and Furious 6

Family is the focus of Fast and Furious 6…or so they say

For those who are enticed by reckless driving, thumping hip-hop beats, and action heroes beating each other senseless, Fast and Furious 6 is a trip and a half. Long running fans of the series will not be disappointed, for Furious 6 goes above and beyond in deliverance of stunning action sequences, gun cocking and quick humour to boot. With a total franchise gross of over $2 billion and a sixth sequel already in preproduction, the fast car franchise shows no sign of slowing down. This time round the word on everyone’s lips is family after the tirades of a lethally skilled mercenary criminal mastermind threaten the very foundations of loyalty that of which the crew has built together.

In light of recent threats (whatever they may be), CIA agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) has Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) reassemble their team of ethnically diverse drivers in order to take down ex Special Air Service soldier Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Meanwhile, Shaw is aided by a new recruit, a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be Dom’s former love believed to be dead, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). What ensues is an array of spectacularly fast moving vehicles and marvelously choreographed action scenes with a large dose of screwball comedy.

Of course, the writing won’t win any awards, nor is the acting particularly high brow but that is entirely not the point, for Furious 6 excels in what it is was made to do: entertain a mass audience with bold and exciting action no matter how illogical. The movie’s ‘devil may care’ attitude helps to give a light weighted-ness to the story that, although hokey, somehow works even when the overarching sentimental themes are thinly veiled.

The strength of the cast comes from a real camaraderie between the actors who have settled comfortably into their roles, pardoning the performances of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker whose characters are as bland as beige. The only serious actor worth a dime is Welsh thespian Luke Evans, a rising film star whose previous credits include eight years of theatre work. Evans’s cool and stylish persona is a refreshing and charismatic addition to a cast of do-gooders, however he never gets a chance to truly shine in the generic bad-guy role. I believe there is a bright future for the Welsh actor who is tipped to play Bard the Bowman in the upcoming hobbit sequel.

Despite all valid criticism, Furious 6 is never dull and keeps a high energy from start to finish; after all it’s just a fast car movie. In fact, it may be the best addition to the franchise to date.