Fast and Furious 6

 

"Ride or Die"

I have always admitted that these Fast and Furious movies are among my very favorite guilty pleasures. They are big and loud and dumb but with a style all their own. The idea of FAMILY grounds the whole insane situation in some beautiful comic book world where the line between good and evil is razor thin and the difference between winning and losing comes at the turn of a wheel.

The opening scenes of the movie are terrific as they reminds the viewer of everything that came before in a cool action montage. I could already feel my heart start to beat.

When the Rock comes asking for 'your team' - Vin Diesel has nothing to do but gather them up again for another mission - this time against an anarchist with military weaponry and the same skills that Dom and his team bring to the table. These new bad guys wreck stuff and steal things but they also hurt innocent people so they have to go.

Something is in the script about stealing components to make some kind of super weapon but those facts are beside the point in a film like this. You are here to watch all the clockwork pieces come together to allow our team to pull victory out of the jaws of defeat.

It's fun watching Dom reuniting his to pull off another impossible job only this time the stakes are higher than ever. This time family is involved. and you know in this franchise, FAMILY is what both fuels and grounds all the insanity.

This one starts quick and never lets go. I love the way it has the coyote/roadrunner chases down pat. It's a fantastic, live action cartoon that rewards long time fans of the series and anyone else just wanting a good time at the movies.

The addition of Dwayne Johnson to the series is brilliant once again. He is the indestructible Nick Fury of this team and the one with the power to sanction 'The Team' to work as government agents. The whole time I watched this film I thought what a great weekly series it would make. Like the A-Team on rocket fuel.

I like how this whole franchise never had to go direct to video and has been able to keep the same caste for most of the series. Fast and Furious 6 is a better movie because of this chemistry - chemistry that The Rock fits into like fingers in a glove.

 

Once again the chase scenes are magnificent. I especially like the custom 'flip' cars that the head bad guys use to cut his swath through the city. Tank meets Formula One car. They are built only to flip other cars out of their way. There is also tech that allows one car to control another a high speed. The collateral damage in this move is over the top but it was fun fun fun to watch everything smash into everything else.

 

 

Vin Diesel is tougher than tough - hell he even pulls the bullet out of his shoulder himself. With minimal loss of blood too. In the next film I understand he does open heart surgery while speeding on the Autoban.

 

Then there comes the tank...then the big cargo plane. WOW. I thought I was going to wet my pants several times. The stunt on the airport tarmac is OUT OF CONTROL COOL. Totally implausible but totally entertaining. I felt that big time action movie thrill that is not as common as you would think.

 

Great female stunt fighters. They fight like they have something to prove. Of course that is stupid. They do fighting and stunt work that is the equal of the men and then some.

 

I said I could watch these movies until they stop making them but the last two have been stellar. Amazing actually. I can't wait for installment 7.