2 Fast 2 Furious

Released in 2001, The Fast and the Furious was a huge success in theaters, making over $200 million compared to just a $38 million budget. It jump-started the careers of much of its cast and kicked off a hugely successful franchise that through six films has made over $2 billion in theaters. Let's dive into the first sequel, 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Still on the run after letting Dom go back in Los Angeles, Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) is making a name for himself as a street racer in Miami. He's gotten into trouble now and is back on the radar of several different law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Customs. If Brian takes on a dangerous assignment for both the FBI and Customs, his record will be wiped clean. The assignment? Help put together a case against smuggler and Argentinian drug lord, Carter Verone (Cole Hauser). With authorities closing in on his circle, Verone needs drivers to help transport piles of drug money under the cops' noses. Brian needs help if he's going to pull off the job and get out alive. He seeks out a childhood friend who's he fallen out with, an ex-con and skilled driver, Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson). Can they pull the job off?

Okay, let's get this out of the way. I love the Fast and Furious franchise. Always have. Always will. So all that said, this ain't a good movie -- by a long shot -- but I love it just the same. Of all the movies, this is probably the guiltiest pleasure. How many movies can you hear Paul Walker say 'Forget about it, cuz.'? It tries to be incredibly hip and street and just so cool. Seriously, try a drinking game where anyone says 'cuz' or 'brah.' You'll be drunk for days.

Building on the surprise success of the first Fast/Furious movie two years earlier, '2 Fast' doesn't mess too much with the winning formula. Director John Singleton knows not to bite the hand that feeds so keep things simple. That formula? Some supremely cool cars from street and drag racers to some throwback classics, or as Brian and Roman say several times 'American muscle,' some cool characters and lots of scantily clad ladies all over the place. It ain't rocket science so don't overthink it, right? The races are edited in crazy, hyper fashion as the cars fly by, the soundtrack is littered with some then timely rap and hip-hop songs, and everything is easily digested in 107 minutes. You realize how far the movies have come since these early entries, a roguish, cheap quality that rises up to be pretty entertaining.

Otherwise occupied filming XXX, Vin Diesel -- star of the first Fast/Furious with Walker -- was unable to participate in this first sequel. The winners of that decision/unavailability? Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson. A whole bunch of 'brahs' and 'cuz' lines aside, the biggest appeal of '2 Fast' is the Walker and Gibson pairing. Any screen they're in together, it plays like two friends hanging out and talking. It doesn't feel forced in the least. The character backstory provides some fun fireworks too, the duo growing up close friends but having a falling out when Brian decides to become a police officer. Just the same way Diesel and Walker played off each other so well in that brotherly fashion, Walker and Gibson do the same. You're rooting for them, two talented drivers backed into a less than ideal situation with all sorts of outside forces closing in on them.

Who else to look for? Walker is the only main cast member to make the jump from the original to the sequel so we've got some fresh meat! I've always liked Cole Hauser (wish he was in more movies), and he's having some fun as Verone, clearly doing some sort of slightly subdued Tony Montana impression. Eva Mendes sexes it up as Monica Fuentes, the deep undercover agent working to take Verone down, and flirting some with Brian in the process. Also joining the franchise is Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges as Tej, a do-it-all race organizer and mechanic while model Devon Aoki plays Suki, the designated sexy female driver. Thom Barry does reprise his role as Bilkins, FBI agent extraordinaire while James Remar plays the cantankerous Agent Markham, always mad at somebody. Also look for Michael Ealy as Amaury Nolasco as rival street racers.

Want some more in-depth analysis? Yeah, I didn't think so. If you like these movies, even this type of movies, you're going to enjoy this sequel. I've recommended to moviegoers that it's worth it to stick with the franchise because it has gotten significantly better, especially most recently with Fast Five and Fast and Furious 6. Those are great fun movies, pure entertainment, but these are pretty cool too. Also worth watching? A short film made with Walker showing how Brian ends up in Miami after the finale of the first movie. Check it out HERE.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003): ***/****

Rush (2013)

So do we have any auto racing fans out there? Nascar, Formula One, dirt track races, drag racing, anything? I've never been a fan, never been able to sit down and watch a race on TV from beginning to end. On the other hand, I love racing movies from older gems like Grand Prix and Le Mans to more current movies like the Fast and the Furious series. Released in theaters last year to basically uniformally positive reviews and a decent box box, 2013's Rush is one of the best racing movies out there.

It's 1970 and two young drivers, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl), are trying to make it from Formula 3 racing to the Formula 1 circuit. The two racers are complete polar opposites, James a smooth, charming ladies man with an incredible knack for racing, Niki the perfectionist who works incessantly at being the best driver he can be. Going down vastly different routes, both James and Niki make it to the pinnacle, finally getting to Formula One. Niki even wins the 1975 World Championship at the circuit's best racer. It all seems primed for the 1976 season, Niki signed with Ferrari while Hunt works with McLaren, both drivers at their prime with the best possible cars to drive and staffs to keep the cars driving at an optimum level. Can this rivalry be pushed too far though? How far will each man go to ensure a win?

What a really, really good movie. One of the most positive things to take away from this movie? Ron Howard is directing! He's had a relative rough patch of late recently, movies that didn't seem up to his talents like The Dilemma or the Dan Brown movies, The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons. Even considering his career films, 'Rush' seems like a bit of a departure for Howard, but that's a positive. A big positive. There is a hard-edge here to the story from the personal interactions to the intensity, even smaller things like language or nudity (Hemsworth does a nude scene. You're welcome, ladies). The story from Peter Morgan's script is a nice fit for a 123-minute long movie. It covers almost six full years but hits the necessary moments without feeling rushed, much of the focus on the 1976 season. There's not one high-reaching thing 'Rush' does well, one huge thing that sets it apart from the field. It just does a lot of things really well.

Nowhere is that more evident than the two leads, Hemsworth and Bruhl, and for different reasons. Making a name for himself as Thor in the Avengers movies, it's hard to believe Hemsworth has only been in the public eye for a handful of years. Bruhl is a less well-known actor probably most known to American audiences because of Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Their on-screen chemistry is the heart of the movie. It's not a hatred between the two men, just an intense, palpable rivalry that at times brings out the best and worst in them. Within sports, rivalries fuel it all, and when it is individuals more than teams -- especially in a film -- it works better. Bruhl even picked up some Oscar buzz for his performance here but ultimately didn't get a nomination for his past as Niki Lauda. SPOILERS Don't read the Wikipedia biography if you don't want to know where the movie heads. SPOILERS

It just works, the pairing between Hemsworth and Bruhl. The two men are different, but they've got more in common than they probably want to admit. Watching a movie about either man would have been intensely interesting so seeing the Formula 1 season play out between the two of them is even better. I'm struggling to explain it, but it's just a good dynamic. They don't hate each other -- maybe intensely dislike -- but for the most part their confrontations are hard-edged and brutal...with smiles on their faces. Through it all, there is a mutual respect that grows between the two men, something grown out of a profession that is inherently dangerous (Lauda's narration claims 2 drivers die a year) as the drivers live on the edge with each race. They push each other to the absolute limit, their intense desire to win becoming obsessive. It wears on their persona lives, their relationships, everything. Kudos to Hemsworth and Bruhl.

The focus is almost entirely on that duo, Olivia Wilde making an almost cameo-like appearance as Hunt's wife, and Alexandra Maria Lara as Marlene, Niki's wife who questions if he can ever be invested in a marriage. Pierfrancesco Favino is solid as a rival Ferrari driver, but the rest of the cast is almost entirely background. We meet some of the backers, the pit crew, but nothing in depth.

What works so well beyond the casting is the racing sequences. Stylish and edited at a freaky fast pace, these sequences are still easy to follow. Because 'Rush' covers so much ground, there's only that one big race, most of the build-up a quick, hard-hitting race that isn't wasting any time. The finale is a gem, the race for the World Championship coming down to one final go on a rainy, almost suicidal course, Nurburgring. The races have an almost washed-out look that stylistically works surprisingly well. Howard filmed on many of the courses where the story is set, acquiring a bunch of vintage cars. The 1970s setting definitely adds to the proceedings as does composer Hans Zimmer's score. There wasn't one huge theme that stuck out for me, but it's a great score that adds a lot to the racing sequences. I was impressed especially because it tries to do so much as a score, not just big, booming epic music.

An excellent movie all-around. Well worth tracking down. Without any knowledge of the actual history, the story surprised me, especially one decision Lauda makes that greatly affects everyone on the circuit, including Hunt. Crazy to think this actually happened, Howard more than doing it justice.

Rush (2013): *** 1/2 /****

Need for Speed

Ah, racing and car movies, my Kryptonite, right up there with westerns and heist movies. Yes, I love them all, from the Fast and the Furious movies to classic films like Bullitt. Need something to tide you over until the next Fast and the Furious movie next year? Okay, funny guy, even if you said 'No' here's a good, old-fashioned popcorn movie for you, 2014's Need for Speed.

A blue collar mechanic who owns a custom car shop (he inherited from his father) he runs with his friends, Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) has earned the shop quite a payday on building a Shelby Mustang, a rare muscle car, for a former friend turned rival and highly successful driver, Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). In a three-racer race, Dino causes an accident that claims the life of one of Tobey's friends but denies his involvement, sending Tobey instead to jail for a two-year sentence. Serving his sentence, Tobey vows to exact his revenge on Dino the only way he knows how....racing. Tobey seeks entry into the hyped De Leon road race, highly dangerous, highly illegal, driving the Shelby Mustang, but first he's got to get across the country in 48 hours. With a car-knowledgable passenger, Julia (Imogen Poots), along for the ride, Tobey hits the road, Dino doing all he can to slow him up and maybe more.

So a movie with a video game background seems kinda ominous, right? I thought so, and that's as a fan of the Need for Speed video game series. Though there are issues here, its video game background has nothing to do with so any worries are unfounded. Maybe the biggest compliment you can give this movie is that it has a respect for car flicks and the genre movies that came before it. It's little things like showing Steve McQueen's Bullitt on a drive-in screen, shooting on location in San Francisco like Bullitt, including one familiar hotel location for fans of the 1968 movie. From Bullitt, Grand Prix, Vanishing Point, Death Race 2000, Gone in 60 Seconds and The Driver as the classics to more recent racing flicks like Fast and Furious, Drive, Death Proof, 'Speed' knows what audiences full of motorheads and car guys are looking for. Have no worries in that department. A little long at times at 130 minutes, it's still a lot of fun.

This is a movie about the racing. That's all. The in-between portions of the story are okay, sometimes fun, sometimes a tad awkward. Director Scott Waugh knows this is a movie about sexy, exotic, high-speed cars hauling ass down roads, highways and desert roads. Maybe that's why the movie's length is a little long in the tooth, there's simply non-stop racing sequences. We get an opening drag race, the deadly road race soon after, one sequence after another as Tobey and Julia gun it across the country, and the epic finale at the De Leon, six ridiculously cool, high-end cars going toe to toe for the win. What I liked was that these sequences let the cars do the talking for themselves. Composer Nathan Furst's score is good but kept in the background of the action. Let these cars with huge horsepower provide their own soundtrack, much like the iconic sequence in Bullitt. We see the cast doing some driving, the editing isn't too fast or choppy, and things never get tedious with a variety of sequences. Follow the racing formula and things will work out in the end.

Breaking Bad fans can rejoice, Jessie Pinkman himself gets a starring role here, and Aaron Paul doesn't disappoint. The Paul casting in a lead role was interesting because he isn't a prototypical action star and he's far from a bankable movie star. And you know what? Both those reasons end up being major positives. Paul comes in with little baggage so it's cool to see him step up and embrace a leading role. His Tobey is an everyman, a working man and blue collar kind of guy with a freaky ability to get the most out of every car he drives. He goes down familiar anti-hero routes, a man of few words who's loyal, tough as nails and is gonna get the girl at the end of the road. I liked Paul's on-screen presence, able to handle the intense scenes with his low, gravelly voice but also handling the lighter scenes with his friends that provide some comic relief. It seems like the future is bright for Paul in the movie business.

Basically across the board, 'Speed' doesn't boast any star power. Like Paul's casting though, it works as we see some familiar faces if not hugely recognizable names. Poots grew on me, her character showing she's not just a pretty face with a hot British accent. Cooper's part as Dino is horrifically underwritten, Cooper getting by with some evil-looking glares. Michael Keaton overacts like his paycheck depended on it as the Monarch, the mysterious, rich organizer of the De Leon race. Toby's friends and fellow mechanics helping him get across the country include rapper Kid Cudi as Benny, able to fly anything and with a smart-ass comment ready for anything, Finn (Rami Malek), able to identify a car's problems in a snap, Peck (Ramon Rodriguez), the relatively normal guy who has cool facial hair, and Little Pete (Harrison Gilbertson), the ultra-confident youngest member of the group. Also look for Dakota Johnson as Pete's older sister, now dating Dino but who also has some epic sexual tension with Tobey.

There's plenty of questions here. How does Benny continuously acquire planes-helicopters-army transport? What exactly is Dino's deal? If he's a Nascar/Formula 1 driver, why the hell does he join the De Leon? Can a helicopter even hold a souped-up Mustang Shelby that drives off a cliff? Why is Dino so stupid? The movie really isn't interested in spelling too many things out. You'd think the police would commit more effort to tracking Tobey down after all the vehicular shenanigans he pulls, but nah! Oh, fast cars doing tricks! That's the movie. Enjoy it for what it is, one exciting driving sequence on top of another.

Need for Speed (2014): ***/****

The Burglars

Well, give me credit. I'm timely every so often....now whether I intended to be timely, that's a different story. A few days ago I reviewed an underrated film noir from 1957, The Burglar, only to find out I had also recorded another version of the same novel by author David Goodis. Well, it's alike in basic -- very basic -- storyline alone, going down a different route in 1971's The Burglars. It's plural this time!

Working with a small crew of thieves, a master crook named Azad (Jean-Paul Belmondo) pulls off an impossible job, robbing a wealthy Greek businessman (Jose Luis de Vilallonga) of a million dollar's worth of rare emeralds. The plan goes off without a hitch, or so Azad and the crew think. A suspicious police officer, Abel Zacharia (Omar Sharif), is onto them and knows what they're trying. His only issue becomes proving their guilt, finding them while they're carrying the emeralds. Azad is ready to make his getaway out of a Greek port, but the ship is undergoing maintenance and can't leave for five more days. Now, he must improvise, getting the persistent -- and dirty -- cop off his trail. Can the crew stay quiet and hidden away until they're ready to escape?

Okay, get the basic plot from Goodis' novel and then go with it. That's all this 1971 version really has to do with its source novel or its 1957 predecessor. Now that said, it isn't a bad thing. Director Henri Verneuil has a good film somewhere in his 120-minute movie, but it's finding that movie that proves difficult. Reading a plot description, I thought I was getting a hard boiled heist flick, and in doses, that's what it is. Without much of a transition, one scene will be brutally dark, the next oddly off the wall. Then, we get some weird aside at an "erotic club" followed by one of the craziest, best car chases I've ever seen in a film. While I liked 'Burglars,' I also thought it was far too schizophrenic to be a movie that received a straight-up positive review. When it works though, it really works. It's getting to that point.

The positives are pretty obvious, starting with Belmondo and Sharif as the two leads, the cat-and-mouse rivals. I've yet to be impressed with Belmondo -- I still don't get the appeal of Breathless -- in the films I've seen, but this performance is a gem. He sounds dubbed but apparently that's him (go figure). Most surprisingly though, he proves himself as an action star, handling his own stunts for the most part including a couple ridiculous stunts. He literally rides the side of a handful of buses on busy streets and later takes a rolling fall down the side of a hill with an almost sheer face. His character itself is pretty cool, a confident, slightly showy thief who thinks he has no rivals, always believing he can outsmart Sharif's cop if it comes down to it. That smartass smile/smirk plays well though, and I really liked what he did with the character.

 Doing a 180 from most of his hero performances, Sharif looks to be having a ball as the sinister, truly brutal cop, Abel Zacharia, looking to line his own pockets in "catching" Azad. At first glance, he appears to be a pretty normal cop but with each passing scene we learn the true depths of how far he'll go for a payday. Dyan Cannon plays Lena, a nude model and quasi-Playmate of sorts who catches Azad's eye and may be letting on more than she knows. Robert Hossein, Nicole Calfan and Renato Salvatori round out Azad's crew, none really given much to do with the spotlight on Belmondo and Sharif. 

Coupled with the tough guy leads, 'Burglars' manages to stand free of the crowd because of the action. A 13-minute car chase about 30 minutes into the movie is ridiculous to the point of being overindulgent. We're talking two cars that should have blown up miles and crashes ago still running and doing so smoothly. It gives us some solid new additions to the car chase sequence too, never a bad thing. Watch it HERE. When there is action, it's handled expertly, including another slightly lower key chase with Belmondo jumping from moving bus to moving bus (again, doing all his own stunts seemingly). Watch a really solid stunt montage HERE. There is a simple professionalism to these scenes that just works well. Not flashy, just efficiently effective. Oh, and composer Ennio Morricone turns in a quiet, understated gem of a soundtrack. Didn't see that coming, did you?

So anyhoo.....the movie does have some flaws. The opening heist sequence is so interested in the gory, boring and downright dull details of how they're pulling the job that any tension gets thrown out the window. What should be a great opening, building momentum is actually a hindrance to a story that ends up being pretty good. A later departure to Cannon's "erotic club" goes on far too long, and in general, too much time is spent with Cannon for a disappointing payoff late in the movie. It is a movie that could have been tightened up at several different points along the way. It's also trying to be funny, action-packed, slightly romantic, full of drama, and it just doesn't always work. In the end, it could have been a near classic, but as is, it's a very watchable heist movie with some pretty severe flaws. Give the movie a watch HERE at Youtube.

The Burglars (1971): ** 1/2 /****

Fast & Furious 6

I can't say I saw this coming. When I watched 2001's The Fast and the Furious in high school, I enjoyed it the story of an undercover cop trying to bust a street racing heist crew. Did I think it would become a hugely successful series that would spawn five sequels, and more to come? Nope, I definitely didn't see that coming....but that's just where it is. Go figure. I love where the series has gone, upping the ante with each passing movie. I L-O-V-E-D 2011's Fast Five and was naturally psyched for the sixth entry in the series, 2013's Fast & Furious 6. Moral of the story....it more than lives up to expectations.

Having pulled off a successful heist in Rio, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his team have retired to spots around the world....for the time being. Having worked with and against Dom and his crew in Rio, DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) has tracked them down. He needs their help to take down Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), a former British special forces soldier who with his own crew of specialists has been stealing the pieces necessary to build the technology that could cripple a nation. Hobbs enlists Dom with offers of pardons for his past crime, but there's more. Dom's former love, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) -- who was believed dead -- is working with Shaw, giving Dom all the motivation he needs to take Hobbs' offer. Dom seeks out friend and fellow driver Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and his team to help him, but even his crew's unique driving talents and criminal abilities will be put to the test against the likes of Shaw's crew.

Where Fast Five left off, '6' picks up without missing a beat. It does seem a long ways off from the street racing origins of the first film, but again, this is the rare series that gets better and better as it develops. I think much of that success can be attributed to director Justin Lin who quite simply just knows what he's doing. Since taking over the series with the third film, Tokyo Drift, Lin has helped take 'Fast and Furious' to different places than the first two movies. Yes, there's ridiculously exciting car chases and action and hand-to-hand fights and awesome cars and beautiful women and tough guys being tough and.....Yeah, I think that's it. That description could sound very common denominator, even stupid, but Lin has made an art of that formula. He takes these familiar genre conventions, throws them in a blender and comes up with these ridiculously entertaining popcorn flicks.

I will devote plenty of words to the action on display here (of which there is a ton), but I'm going to mention again what takes these movies up a notch beyond pure action flicks. It's the characters. If you've made it to the sixth entry in the series, you like something enough to stick with it. Yes, the cars and chases and action is awesome, but I genuinely like the characters and am rooting for them. I love the dynamic among Dom, Brian and the team, especially when you throw Johnson's Hobbs into the mix again. The script is far from Shakespearean, but it also knows these characters inside and out. At 130 minutes, you can't have all action (well, I suppose you could), but as was the case with 'Five,' some of the best moments come from the quieter moments as members of Dom's crew interact, bust each other's balls or even.....just talk!?! I know, crazy, right? Kudos to screenwriter Chris Morgan for turning in an underrated script.

Let's face it though. These are some pretty cool characters, and there's a whole lot of them. The original stars, Diesel and Walker, are the basis for it all, enemies turned friends turned family. Neither are considered great thespians, but they are great tough guys, great action stars. Their back and forth is natural, not forced, and flows effortlessly. Johnson again is a great addition to the series, and he also looks like he could tangle with a dozen or so grizzly bears and come out on the winning side. Jeez, look at his arms! Also returning to round out the team is Tyrese Gibson as Roman, the motor-mouthed driving specialist, Sung Kang as Han, the master thief and chameleon extraordinaire, Gal Gadot as Gisele, Han's girlfriend of sorts, weapons specialist and precision driver in her own right, and Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges as Tez, an electronics and tech whiz. Jordana Brewster and Elsa Pataky also return in small, cameo-like parts as the love interests.

With so much talent assembled, new names aren't necessary, but the new stars are gems here, especially Evans as Owen Shaw, the brutally efficient, ice cold master thief/criminal who finds himself working against Dom and Hobbs. As a villain, he's the best the series has seen mostly because he's a more than worthy opponent for our heroic anti-heroes. His one-on-one scene with Diesel near the midpoint of the film is a gem. Evans isn't a huge physically imposing bad guy, but his intensity goes a long way. Also joining the crew is Gina Carano as Riley, Hobbs' assistant in the developing case. She isn't given a ton to do, but she does get not one, but TWO fight scenes with Rodriguez (who's "death" in Fast and Furious is explained in somewhat believable fashion). It's tough to find fault with that statement.

Blah blah blah talking and dialogue and scripts blah blah blah. FAST CARS! EXPLOSIONS! CHASES! I thought 'Five' had set the bar at a pretty unattainable level.....well, yeah....I was wrong about that. Things get ratcheted up even more with three amazingly choreographed set pieces. The first has Dom, Brian, Hobbs and Co. racing through the night streets of London in pursuit of Shaw. An excellent sequence in itself, but just the start. The follow-up is a chase along a Spanish highway overlooking the sea. Oh, and there's a tank, and American muscle cars, and crashes, and ridiculous collateral damage. It features stunts so ridiculous, premises so beyond reality that it's almost laughable. You know what? I didn't care. Just sit back and watch it develop. This scene defies the laws of physics countless times, and it doesn't matter.

Both of those set pieces could make a movie worthwhile to watch on their own, but then there's the finale. Shaw is making his escape via an airfield (apparently the longest runway in the history of aviation) as an immense cargo plane tries to land to pick him up. Dom, Hobbs, Brian and the entire team are racing behind him in a variety of souped-up muscle cars trying to keep the plane on the ground. This extended sequence is schizophrenic in the best sense of the word. Cars zipping around at inordinate speeds, fistfights and brutal hand-to-hand fights, explosions left and right, it's an incredible, adrenaline-pumping scene. It goes on for something like 15-20 minutes, and It....Is....Nuts. It's hard to give audiences an action scene we haven't seen before, but Lin and screenwriter Morgan find a way to improve on the finale chase in 'Five,' but yep, they completely succeeded. And credit to Lin, he cuts the action so you can see it, always keeping tabs on what's going on. At no point it is an indecipherable blur.

That's enough rambling movie crush for now. Having just watched this newest entry earlier today, I feel like it's too soon to compare the films. I think I liked Fast Five a tad bit more, but it's really close. The more I think about this one, the more I like it, and here's why. This is a movie that knows exactly what it is and isn't trying to be anything else. It is a popcorn flick that will hopefully get your adrenaline pumping. It is fun from beginning to end whether it be the cast (who appear to be having a ball) or the ever-increasing and ridiculous action. It's just fun. If it isn't The Godfather or Citizen Kane or an all-time cinema classic, so be it. Sit back and enjoy it.

Oh, and yes, there will be a sequel. Much the same way Fast Five led into this film with a post-credit scene, so does '6' and it is a doozy. It ties the series all the way back to Tokyo Drift with a mystery that has baffled some series fans about the fate of one of the key characters. There's a huge star added to the mix -- no SPOILERS here -- setting the series up nicely for future ventures. I, for one, am most definitely psyched to see where it goes.

Fast & Furious 6 (2013): ****/****

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry

Cars are pretty cool, huh? Yes, another sterling lead courtesy of Just Hit Play, and you're welcome. It's a simple truth though, one that the movie industry has believed in for years. My car can go faster than yours. What are you going to do about it? There's something primal and stupid about watching a souped-up car gunning it down the road, typically with cops or gangsters or any number of random bad guys on their trail. From the decade of the car movie, here comes another gem, 1974's Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.

A stock car driver who's never quite made it to the big time, Larry (Peter Fonda) is convinced all he needs is a car and the equipment to make it big but no one will back him. With his longtime friend and down-on-his-luck mechanic, Deke (Adam Roarke), Larry has a plan. The duo concocts a plan though, robbing a grocery store that just received its payroll in a tiny, backroads town. The job goes off smoothly....until they try to get away. Waiting inside their getaway car is Mary (Susan George), a one-night stand (at the time) of Larry's who secretly tagged along. With no way to get rid of her -- without her turning them in -- she tags along on the getaway. Their plan comes together nicely, even when the local police, led by ridiculously persistent Captain Franklin (Vic Morrow), catch wind of them and aren't far behind.

Made on the cheap and the definition of a B-movie that thrives in its cheapness, 'Crazy' is a gem of a car movie. From director John Hough, it makes no bones about what it is. This is a movie about badass, souped-up cars with V-8 engines going wheel-to-wheel on the open road. Are you interested in a movie with well thought-out characters that develop over time? A story with twists and turns and an Oscar-caliber script? You should probably check out a different movie. It clocks in at 93 minutes and never truly slows down. In the vein of Thunder Road, Bullitt, Smokey and the Bandit, Vanishing Point, Two-Lane Blacktop and many more car flicks, 'Crazy' more than belongs in the conversation.

This is a movie to watch the cars drive and drive ridiculously fast. It was filmed in the California countryside away from the big cities, including some great locations in and around the walnut groves in Stockton and Linden, California. I'm a sucker for any car movies, and while I didn't love all of this flick -- more on that later -- the appeal is obvious. We're talking the souped-up cars (Larry and Deke drive a 1966 Chevy Impala and later a 1969 Dodge Charger) doing battle with similarly souped-up police cars, and in the coolest development? The Charger going up against an obsessed Franklin in a police helicopter on an isolated road. All the driving stunts are impressive in their own right, but this extended sequence is something else. The helicopter looks to be flying at top speeds just feet -- maybe inches -- away from the Charger. Great story this is not, just sit back and admire the truly impressive stunt work and driving.

This is a fun movie, but there are stretches that tested even my limits. That issue comes from the title characters. A rebel icon of the 1960s and 1970s, Peter Fonda is and always will be pretty cool. Playing crazy Larry though, he's just annoying. His character is hard to like even a little, and the cocky stock car driver gets old quick, especially his cackling laughter. Unfortunately, he's not the most annoying person here. That title belongs to Susan George as Dirty Mary. Around because the movie requires some eye candy and little else, Mary is beyond shrill. Larry affectionately calls her 'Dingleberry' after their magical one-night together so clearly it's a classic movie romance on par with Casablanca. George does look good, rocking low-rise jeans and a denim bikini top, but the shrillness is unreal, and the character's down right stupid.

That's all unfortunate because when Fonda's Larry and Roarke's Deke are together, we've got a good thing going. I especially liked Roarke as mechanic Deke, an expert in everything motor and gearhead. He just wants to get away with the money and is less than appreciative of Mary tagging along on the getaway. Even he grows a little tired of Larry's act though. A star of biker flicks, Roarke was my favorite actor here. As Capt. Franklin, Morrow continues to establish himself as the face of the evil Establishment, just like Bad News Bears. It's a funny part though, a cop who doesn't care about rules or appearances, just catching the bad guy. Also look for Kenneth Tobey as Donahue, Franklin's by-the-book superior, and Eugene Daniels as Hank, one of Franklin's cops who gets his hands on a police interceptor with a cranked-up V-8 engine.

The movie is a hot mess overall. Larry and Deke take the grocery store owner (an uncredited Roddy McDowall) captive, holding his family hostage at their home while they pull off the robbery. Unsympathetic characters to say the least, but thankfully that rights itself a little bit. Sure, there are flaws a-plenty here in this cult classic, but it's fun throughout. Enjoy it, and don't blink or you'll miss the shocker of an ending.

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974): ***/****  

The Fast and the Furious (1955)

No, not that Fast and the Furious unfortunately. This B-movie from 1955 named The Fast and the Furious has no relation other than its title to the successful drag racing-fast car-cool action franchise that will release its sixth film in theaters this May. Nope, this one is just a lousy, dull B-movie made on the cheap that just doesn't have much going for it.

Wrong accused of murder, Frank Webster (John Ireland) is on the run. He claims he's innocent, but he's wanted for the murder of a truck driver he was accused of driving off the road, the driver killed in the process. He's on the run in southern California, but when a vigilante-like trucker asks too many questions, he becomes desperate, kidnapping race car driver Connie Adair (Dorothy Malone). With the beautiful captive/hostage along for the ride in her souped-up racing jalopy, Webster must come up with a plan to evade the police. His best option is what Connie was on her way to, a road race that briefly crosses into Mexico. Posing as a race car driver, Webster tries to get in, but his chances seem slim, and Connie isn't going to make it easy on him.

Aired in late March as part of a Turner Classic Movies theme night, 'Furious' caught my attention because I'll watch just about any racing/car movie. It was lightly recommended to me via Netflix, but because it runs just 74-minutes, I didn't want to waste a rental on such a short movie (my worries were well-founded by the way). It sounded pretty cheesy, but in that 1950s cornball cheesy way that can be appealing. I was wrong. It's not entertaining and just doesn't have anything worth recommending. In other words, this isn't going to be too long of a review. It stunk, and that's all.

Working with Edward Sampson, star and co-director Ireland were at the helm of this one that's also produced and written by B-movie master Roger Corman. It was made on the cheap, and it looks it, but that's far from the biggest problem here. The story itself is ridiculous, and the issues are hamstrung even more by the miniscule budget. An "epic manhunt" is meant to corner and capture Ireland's Webster, but they don't have a picture of him anywhere to distribute? He's stopped by cops who even when they question him don't realize he's a wanted fugitive. And a road race is the best way out of the country? Yes, I know, it's a way to get some cool racing footage into an otherwise pretty pointless story, but come on, show a little effort. Cheap is one thing, downright dumb another. Much of the driving scenes are aided by some horrifically cheap, out of place green-screen scenes where Ireland is in a studio while the background flies by behind him. Yeah, cheapness!

If there is a positive, and I'm straining for one at this point, it is the racing footage. We get to see some cool 1950s race cars in action. 'Fast' filmed in the California hills, and the racing scenes are pretty cool with some impressive crowds providing a somewhat realistic backdrop. That's about it. Fast cars are cool.

Then there's the acting, Ireland and Malone spending much of the time delivering some of the worst, most truly stilted dialogue I've ever heard. Because the story requires it, they fall in love with each other sometime after a hungry Malone is offered food on a picnic from the cantankerous, annoyed Ireland. I'm totally serious there. He steals food for a picnic, and she falls for him. Then, Connie spends the rest of the movie trying to convince Webster to turn himself in and prove his innocence. But NO! He's got to escape to Mexico via a popular road race! Yes, an inexperienced driver handling himself in a road race. Uh, I'm out of things to rip about this movie, and I've said too much already. Bad, badder and baddest.

The Fast and the Furious (1955): */****

Drive

Some movies defy descriptions. Is that good thing or a bad thing? It could go either way, but 2011's Drive most definitely leans in the positive direction. A throwback to the film noirs of the 1940s, a throwback to the crime thrillers of the 1970s, a love story, and one of the most graphically violent films I've ever seen. However I describe it though, I can say I definitely loved it.

Working for his friend, Shannon (Bryan Cranston), at his mildly successful garage, Driver (Ryan Gosling) lives in Los Angeles and leads an almost monk-like life. He works for Shannon, doubles as a stunt driver for Hollywood productions, but that's just the start. He also provides a unique service to any would-be criminals, working as a getaway driver with a very strict set of rules and demands. Driver more or less drifts along from day to day, that is until he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son, Benicio (Kaden Leos), his next door neighbors. His brief reverie is broken up though as Irene's husband is paroled from jail, and Shannon cuts a deal with a mobster, Bernie (Albert Brooks), to buy a used stock car so Driver can utilize his driving skills on a race track.

From Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, 'Drive' makes a risky choice that ends up paying huge dividends. This may sound odd, but this is a film that tries to be cool. It wants to be cool. It wants you as a viewer to think it's cool, and it tries really hard to get to that point. I usually resent movies that try so ridiculously hard to be so stylish, but for Refn, he succeeds on just about every level. It is cool. It is stylish. It's a freaking ridiculously cool movie. Drive is a film noir, a crime thriller, a love story, and an ultra-violent film that rips you out of your seats. I debated for months whether to check it out -- having heard some lukewarm reviews -- and I'm glad I finally sought it out.

Let's delve into that style some. Originally intended as a big-budget, blockbuster film, Drive was eventually released as a lower budget, far artsier film. Refn filmed on location in Los Angeles, and the visual look of the film is a stunner. This is where the art house tag applies to 'Drive.' It's colorful but takes advantage of shadows and light like a noir from the 1940s. Slow motion is utilized to startle and upset, to build tension in an insanely simple way. The opening title card is in hot pink, and oddly enough, it works. The soundtrack from composer Cliff Martinez has a New Age, ethereal feel to it (a la so many 1980s soundtracks). Listen to a sample HERE. 'Drive' also features a theme song of sorts, an odd but perfectly appropriate indie rock song called A Real Hero. It shouldn't work in the context of the story, but it does. The whole soundtrack has an odd appeal to it, a techno-electronica sound that feels like a throwback to the 1980s (yes, again), but it works. I loved the look, loved the music.

As for star Ryan Gosling, I'm not a huge fan of him as an actor, but this is a great performance from him. I think it's more than just the acting because in terms of words actually spoken, Gosling says about 121 words the entire movie. It's all reactions and expressions, physical movements and saying as much as humanly impossible with his eyes instead of speaking. I loved this character. We know basically nothing about him other than that he's a freaky talented driver and he utilizes in weird ways; as a getaway driver. His rules are simple; you get 5 minutes to pull the job -- no more, no less -- and he'll make sure you get away. He bonds instantly with Irene and her son, seeing potential for something there. What? Who knows. Other reviews point to Gosling's performance reflecting similar performances from actors like Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. I'm hard pressed to disagree. You can act without giving huge, grandiose speeches (McQueen and Eastwood certainly proved that), and Gosling's acting is understated and simple. When he sees Irene and Benicio threatened, he comes to life. Does he see a release, an out, a happiness in them? Yeah, probably, but it's also easy to see himself. Maybe he was that little boy years ago.

Gosling's nearly silent, monk-like lead performance is clearly the role that makes this film special, but I loved all of the performances. Mulligan is a great counter to Gosling, a similarly understated, emotionally torn apart performance with young Leos representing himself well. Mulligan's Irene loves her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), recently paroled and owing some nasty people a lot of money. Enter Driver.  Brooks isn't a typical choice to play a villainous mobster, but his unlikely casting is a gem. His Bernie is typically an unwilling killer, but he'll do it just the same. Cranston's Shannon is probably the most human of all the characters, maybe Driver's only true friend. Ron Perlman is not surprisingly very intimidating as Nino, Bernie's partner in all sorts of nasty mob stuff. James Biberi is Cook, a gangster who gets set up with Driver and Standard with Christina Hendricks as Blanche, his moll. Also look briefly for Russ Tamblyn as Doc, helping Driver out of a jam. 

One of the more impressive things about this movie is the job Refn (and Hossein Amini's script off James Sallis' novel) does in completely throwing the viewer for a loop. The first 45 minutes almost lull you to sleep with long, quiet scenes that feature little dialogue. And then here comes the VIOLENCE! As fellow reviewer David J. Fowlie says, this movie is Michael Mann meets Walter Hill meets Sam Peckinpah. We're talking gory, over the top violence that is both startling and uncomfortable to watch while also hard to look away from. Heads exploding courtesy of a shotgun blasts, impalings on all sorts of brutal, blunt and sharp instruments, and several other deaths I don't want to spoil. I think this violence lands in heavier fashion than some ridiculously over the screen violence is that it's personal. I was stunned by how much I came to like these characters. The violence may be incredibly graphic (even cartoonish), but it is visceral in the same way. Go figure, but it ain't for the squeamish.

This is a film that could be analyzed scene-for-scene, but I don't want to get into the gory details from one scene to another. It reminds me of so many other movies, but it manages to create its own identity in the process. The story reflects a film noir, the style reflects so many crime thrillers, the music the 1980s, and Gosling's main character is straight out of a French crime story from Melville (specifically Le Samourai). I loved everything about it, and I like it more two days later having thought about it some more. The only thing I had an issue with is the final scene -- open-ended for your consideration! -- that is rather ambiguous. It's up to you for your decision so it's not a deal-breaker by any means. It all comes back to the Driver though, an anti-hero with no past, no real ties to the world, doing something because he thinks it's right.

A late scene spells it out, a bloodied Driver standing on the top level of a parking garage on the phone to set up a meeting to wrap up all the loose ends. It's filmed in the dead of night, the lights from Los Angeles lighting up the background as the two characters (no spoilers about who's at the other end of the phone) hash it out in a meeting that will no go smoothly. His Driver is a doomed character if there ever was in a great movie that flies out of the gate, settles in nicely and then sets you up time and time again before that ending. I loved it. Glad I caught up with it.

Drive (2011): ****/****

The Italian Job (2003)

In an age of sequels, prequels and remakes, all I'm usually looking for is a new tweak. It doesn't have to be a major thing, just a difference. So how about a remake of the 1969 cult favorite The Italian Job? First, Americanize it of sorts, put together a cool cast, stylish heist, and ta-da! We've got 2003's The Italian Job!

Having pulled off an intricate robbery in Venice, Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg), John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and their heist team manage to escape with $35 million of gold bars. But as they escape in the Alps, one of the team, Steve (Edward Norton), turns on the group and steals the gold for himself. Bridger is shot and killed and the rest are left for dead as Steve escapes with all the gold. A year later, Charlie has managed to track down Steve who's gone into hiding. He's got the heist team back together, and they're looking for some revenge. What better way than to steal their gold back? They'll need help though so Charlie recruits Stella Bridger (Charlize Theron), John's daughter and an expert safecracker.

Basically this is a remake in name only. Oh, and a team of crooks does in fact steal things while using Mini-Coopers as part of the getaway. Other than that though, it's a whole other heist movie that stands on its own. Director F. Gary Gray has modernized the story, jumping the story from a European setting to Philadelphia and Los Angeles instead. There is something simple, straightforward and appealing about this remake. Low-key isn't the right description, but 'Italian' doesn't try to rewrite or reinvent the genre. It knows where it wants to get, and it knows how it's going to get there. Is it so wrong that it is just a solid, entertaining and fun heist movie? I say that like 'Just' is a bad thing.

That comfort level in knowing where the movie hopes to end up is most evident in the actual heists. The opening robbery of a heavily guarded home in Venice is an ideal scene-setter, capping off with a high-speed boat chase through the Venetian canals. It gets the movie going at a breakneck speed immediately, and Sutherland's appearance is a very cool addition. The finale heist is again, pretty straightforward, but just as exciting. Norton's Steve is onto Charlie's plan and tries to sneak the gold out, but with three Mini-Coopers, explosives, Russian gangsters, armored truck guards, heavily armed motorcycle guards and a patrolling helicopter 'Italian' has some tricks up its sleeve right until the end.

More than the heist aspect of 'Italian,' the thing that most appeals to me about this movie is the casting. Both the good guys, the bad guys and the yet to be determined to the end, it is a likable, appealing cast. Wahlberg especially is one of my favorites, an actor who's carved a niche out for himself, playing a variation on the tough guy everyman. If it sounds like a dig or something negative, I don't mean it, but he's incredibly likable on-screen, especially as the confident high-class thief leading his team. It's also good to see Theron do just a fun movie, not a big, message movie. She fits in well with the crew, and it's the type of part that's right in her wheelhouse. And can you go wrong with a quick appearance by Donald Sutherland? Too bad it's not a larger part. Charlie's team also includes Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), the driver and all-around ladies man, Lyle (Seth Green), the tech guy and hacker who claims Napster was his own creation, Left Ear (rapper Mos Def), specialist in explosives, and Wrench (Franky G), the mechanic who rigs the cars for added weight.

Oh, yeah, Edward Norton is awesome whether he plays a good guy or bad guy. Playing the paranoid thief with $ for eyes, he doesn't disappoint. Also look for Olek Krupa as Mashkov, a Ukrainian gangster who has an interest in how the robbery develops, but no spoilers here. Not a ton to analyze about this ready-made, entertaining heist rehash, but I think that's the point. It's got action, laughs and a good dynamic among the team, especially Green impersonating Statham. Watch it HERE, it's dead-on. Just sit back and enjoy Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham try to pull off a crazy heist. Fun from the start.

The Italian Job <---trailer (2003): ***/****

The Fast and the Furious

Not to get nostalgic over a movie that came out just 10 years ago, but for better or worse, I've grown up with the Fast and the Furious movies. Other generations had Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings...I had these street racing movies.  Saying the series has come a long way isn't exactly a spot-on description because they're all fun, entertaining, popcorn movies. It started with 2001's The Fast and the Furious, a movie that seems like it was in theaters a long time ago, especially considering the series' fifth movie, Fast Five, was just released in May. You've got to start somewhere though, right?

Watching this movie now -- having seen the other four movies since, some of them on repeated viewings -- I couldn't help but notice a couple things.  One is something that didn't even register for years after it was released.  More on that later, but it involves the whole story being almost a complete rip-off of another cult classic from the early 1990s.  The other thing, the bigger thing? The original is pretty bad overall, definitely a guilty pleasure that is a success because of its badness.  It stays close to home with plenty of fast cars, gorgeous women, a rap and hip hop soundtrack, and fast cars. Oh, wait, I mentioned that already.

Working an undercover job, young police officer Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) has been given a timetable to bring a case to court.  A group of hijackers using premium, high end foreign cars are taking down 18-wheelers all over California, taking their shipments of everything from electronics to car parts and selling them on the black market. Posing as a mechanic at a car parts store, Brian is forced to become part of the underground street racing world. One of the biggest and most obvious suspects is Dom Torretto (Vin Diesel), an ex-con who has gained a reputation as one of the best racers around. Losing a race to Dom, Brian owes him a 10-second car and is quickly accepted into Dom's team.  As the evidence mounts though, can Brian put aside his friendship with Dom and relationship with Dom's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), if he thinks they're the real masterminds behind the hijacking?

Does the basic story sound familiar at all?  It didn't click at all on my first couple of viewings, but at some point it hit me like a bag of rocks. The story is basically a blatant rip-off of 1991's Point Break starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Instead of bank robbers we've got hijackers, Walker taking over for Reeves and Diesel stepping in for Swayze.  The undercover agent must take down his new friends, balancing out the duty he feels with this legitimate friendship and bond that has developed as he goes undercover. It doesn't ruin the movie by any means, but it certainly is on your mind as you watch it.

Through all the bad lines and really hammy acting, the things that work well here are the things that work well in all the movies.  Diesel is a solid lead as Dominic Torreto, an action star and a presence more than an actor.  Walker has improved significantly as an actor over the last 10 years so here as undercover cop Brian he's not the most impressive actor around. Still, they have a good chemistry together, two opposites becoming fast friends through their love of cars and racing. The best moments -- like in Fast Five and the others -- are Dom, Brian and his crew shooting the breeze, hanging out in the garage, having a group BBQ. The team include Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, Dom's girlfriend, Chad Lindberg as Jessie, the computer/tech/engine expert, and  Johnny Strong and Matt Schulze as Leon and Vince. Through all the fake, forced confrontations, the movie is at its best when it lets the characters relax and be themselves.

Enough with the acting conversation about a movie about street racers. Let's talk fast cars and street racing!  Credit to director Rob Cohen for finding an appropriate middle ground for his racing sequences.  They're heavily edited and lightning quick, but never to the point where you lose track of what's going on. For the most part, the story doesn't revolve too much on the racing sequences, focusing more on Brian's investigation and his friendship with Dom and relationship with Mia. A highlight is the final 30 minutes when all the stops are pulled out. Dom....brace for it....is leading the hijackers with Brian trying to stop them as the truckers go vigilante, arming themselves. A high-speed chase on a desert highway is crazy, and the following chase with a rival racer, Johnny Tran (Rick Yune in a truly bad performance), on motorcycles is a great finale.

Over the course of five movies, directors/producers/writers have figured out what works and what doesn't work with the story and characters.  The first 45 minutes are pretty painful as the story just tries too hard to be currently hip or cool (and yes, I realize pointing that out and using 'hip' and 'cool' makes me just the opposite). There are some beyond cringe-inducing moments, line deliveries that make you wonder if a little kid wrote them.  Thankfully the movie finds it rhythm pretty quickly once everything is established. Like any movie, just know what you're getting into. Some other supporting roles include Ted Levine as Brian's immediate supervisor, Thom Barry as Agent Bilkins, the FBI liaison on the case, and Noel Gugliemi as Hector, a possible suspect.  

Fast Five and even Fast and Furious are better movies overall, 2 Fast 2 Furious probably on the same level, but the first movie in the series is still worth watching and a must-see for fans of racing movies.  It is the rare franchise that got better -- not worse -- as the movies have been released. Still, it's the original. Enjoy it.

The Fast and the Furious <---trailer (2001): ***/****

Fast Five

I'm a sucker for the Fast and the Furious series. There I said it. After watching Tokyo Drift a few summers back, I talked with my cousin about how cool it would be if a sequel brought together all the stars of the first three F and F movies. It seemed like a natural progression. Team up all those cool tough guys. Now, I'm not saying I can predict the future or anything, but 2011's Fast Five hit theaters April 29 to huge business with basically that premise. Bring together all the stars from the first four movies (including Fast and Furious) and let them go to work. If this early -- very early -- summer release is any sign of things to come, it's going to be a fun summer at the movies.

What's odd about the franchise (to me at least) is that by the end of the first movie, racing almost became a secondary thing. By this movie -- the fifth in the franchise -- that trend continues. It's funny because like so many movies, the first one was really good and could have served as a stand-alone, single movie.  That's not how things work nowadays, and four sequels later, here I sit writing a review. I liked 2 Fast 2 Furious, enjoyed Tokyo Drift, enjoyed Fast and Furious, and to my complete surprise, I L-O-V-E-D Fast Five. Loved it. It follows the same formula (cool cast, badass cars, exotic locations, gorgeous women, awesome soundtrack) and amps it up to 10 or 11. This sounds like some bad line you would see on a movie poster, but I haven't had this much fun at a movie in a while, maybe back to the Bourne movies.

After freeing Dom Torreto (Vin Diesel) as he's being transported to prison, former FBI agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and his girlfriend, Mia (Jordana Brewster), are on the run, hiding out in Brazil as countless law enforcement agencies track them down. Needing some sort of bankroll, they take a job robbing three high-end cars but find out they've messed with the wrong guy. Three DEA agents are killed in the heist by enforcers from the local kingpin, Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), but the murders are pegged on Dom and Brian. Things closing in on them, they know they have to take down one last epic job and fade away, but to do so they're going to need a ton of money. Putting together a team of specialists and drivers, Dom and Brian put together a job that will hit Reyes where it hurts most, his drug money. The job seems impossible though as he's put all his money -- over $100 million -- in a bank vault...in a police station. As if that wasn't enough, a hardcore FBI agent, Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and his team are hunting Dom and Brian down, and nothing is going to stop him.

If you're a fan of the previous movies (even casually), this is the movie for you. Everyone is back. A little more than 45 minutes into the movie when Brian says "We need a team" there was a genuine buzz in the theater, that sense of 'Here we go, this is gonna be fun.' Rounding out the team is Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (hip-hop artist Ludacris) from 2 Fast 2 Furious, Han (Sung Kang) from Tokyo Drift, and Leo (Tego Calderon), Leo (Don Omar), and Gisele (Gal Gadot) from Fast and Furious. Even Vince (Matt Schulze) from the original is back. It's Fast and the Furious, the reunion tour, back after a 10-year absence! All these characters were really cool on their own, and then you throw them all into one movie? Too perfect. This is a men on a mission movie for a younger, hip hop audience. It's that team pulling off that one last dangerous, even suicidal, but necessary last job. As the movie developed, I just kept smiling. A ridiculously cool cast, a team of specialists working together, and trying to pull of an improbable heist. I'm in movie heaven.

You don't head into these movies thinking you'll be hearing Shakespearean dialogue, words spoken so eloquently and beautiful that it gives you faith in writing and movies. Not this series, and not anytime soon.  To counter that, I will say that this is a well-written movie. No, I'm not talking Academy Award winning stuff, but director Justin Lin and screenplay writer Chris Morgan clearly know their characters and how to have them interact. Some of the movie's best scenes come from the cast just hanging out, talking, busting each other's balls, planning out the job. There is an ease to the scenes that never comes across as contrived or forced, just a genuine group of friends working together. There's some laughs, some male bonding, some possible love connections brewing, so basically a little bit of everything. Something to please everyone in the audience.

To the credit of the franchise, they've always tried to keep things fresh. And here Fast Five is no exception. If you're going to assemble this team of super criminals/crooks and drivers, you need an opponent who is equally as big and bad, imposing just standing there. Enter stage left...Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson looking like he lived in the gym for several months prior to filming.  This guy looks absolutely jacked, like he could rip a man's head off with ease. His FBI agent Luke Hobbs is a great addition to the series. And thankfully, he's not some clueless dupe for Dom and Brian and Co. to keep on taking advantage of.  He's a worthy adversary, always keeping up with them. And yes, his one-on-one knock down, drag 'em out, it hurts just watching the confrontation fight with Vin Diesel is appropriately epic.  Two heavyweights beating the crap out of each other is just one of many highlights of this flick. Oh, and sequels? Yeah, it looks like the Rock will be back for more. Stick around through the credits. Also joining the cast -- because the gorgeous actress category hadn't been filled enough already -- is Elsa Pataky as Elena, a Brazilian police officer working with Hobbs' team.

Okay, enough with all this talk about characters and plot and dialogue. You go into these movies for the action, the blow you out of your seat, crazy, ridiculous could never happen in the real world action. All other things aside as mentioned earlier, this movie is an incredible action flick. The opening sequence showing Dom getting busted out of the prison bus is quick and hard-hitting in its effectiveness.  A railway heist on a speeding train is classic. A later chase through the Brazilian favelas shows how to do a foot-chase with multiple chases going on at once through the crowded backstreets of Rio de Janiero. And in a throwback to the racing roots of the franchise, an epic, truly epic quarter mile race between Dom, Brian, Han and Roman through Rio...in stolen police cars at that...is a thing of beauty. Action, this movie has plenty of it. You may be disappointed about any number of things. But action? No way. Even better is that the movie is edited so you can actually see what's going on. It is edited in that hyper-quick fashion, but never to the point where they're just incoherent blurs. As a fan of the sometimes incomprehensible Bourne movies, I say thank you.

All those action scenes mentioned, they pale in comparison to the finale. Driving some souped up cars, Dom and Brian attach an immense bank vault to their cars and chased by basically all of the corrupt cups in Rio try to make away with over $100 million bucks. The movie itself is 130 minutes long -- by far the longest in the series -- and I'm thinking that longer running time is because of this sequence. We're talking a full 15 minutes of non-stop chaos and action through Rio as this vault tears the city and its police up.  It's an orgy of explosions, crashes and fast cars that rivals The Blues Brothers in terms of fullscale destruction. That's the movie. Ridiculous amounts of fun. It's great to look at (Rio even in its squalor is incredibly visual) and the montage of where everyone ends up (to Don Omar's Danza Kuduro) is a great wrap-up. As for that post-credit scene, it certainly leaves it open for another sequel with a not so great twist. Who am I kidding? I'll be seeing that one too. Hopefully, it's just as good as this one.

Fast Five <---trailer (2011): ****/****

The Driver

As far back as the silent Keystone Cops series, movies have had car chases. In the late 60s, Bullitt and The French Connection opened the door for a slew of car-chase related movies that continues to this day. Name a halfway decent action movie from the last 30-40 years, and there's a good chance there is a car chase. Who knows what attracts audiences to them? Ridiculously cool cars gunning it across country and through crowded cities just sounds fun.

But with car chases, and I'm not talking racing movies, there are few movies directed to the most important thing in the chase -- the guy behind the wheel. Released in 1978, The Driver just does that, focusing almost completely on the man driving the badass car(s). Director Walter Hill handles a movie that could have been a color film noir movie with the typically cool anti-hero, the femme fatale, and the dedicated, driven cop trying to catch the rebellious main character. It's the type of movie that almost borders on the pretentious with characters addressed as their occupation -- the Driver, the Detective, the Connection -- but pulls back just enough not to be obnoxious.

When a crook/robber/underworld thug is trying to pull off a job, there's one person that can significantly help his chances get away. Everyone knows him simply as the Driver (Ryan O'Neal), the best getaway driver and wheelman around. The police are fully aware of who and what he is, especially the Detective (Bruce Dern), but they're never able to pin any of the crimes on him, and he always gets away to pull off another getaway. But the Detective has been pushed too far so he goes about setting up a trap that even the Driver can't escape from.

The plot is straightforward with little diversions to take away from the heated and on-going battle between the getaway driver and the police officer trying to bring him in. There's a rivalry between the men that O'Neal and Dern pull off perfectly. O'Neal's Driver is quickly aware that he's being set up and still take the job if for nothing else than to prove he can do it, and more importantly he's smarter than a cop. O'Neal isn't a great actor, but playing the strong, silent type works nicely for him. Dern is a scene-stealer (as he usually was) as the slightly crazy detective who will risk anything to catch his rival.

Director Hill clearly knows what he's doing with an often minimalist story that focuses so closely on style over substance, especially with the chase scenes that bookend the movie. The opening as the Driver attempts to escape from the police (watch it HERE) is a great intro as to what type of movie you're about to watch. It also features one of the best endings to a car chase I can remember. The finale -- check it out here with SPOILERS of course -- is even better, combining some great stunt driving with a sometimes unbearable tension as O'Neal drives a souped-up pickup truck chasing down a Firebird.

Watching the chase scenes is easier to appreciate because O'Neal did just enough driving to make it seem believable. Sure, a stunt driver probably did most of it, but the viewer actually sees O'Neal behind the wheel. It sounds simple, but it helps a lot. And one of the reasons I'll always love older movies, no fake-looking CGI could ever replace good old fashioned stunts. In these chase scenes, Hill doesn't mess around with a loud blaring soundtrack that tells you how to feel. Just like Bullitt, The Driver's chase scenes are almost silent other than the sounds of the engines chugging along trying to outdo each other. Definitely some of the best car chases around because they don't mess with the formula. Simple, straightforward and exciting.

With the rest of the cast, a few names jump out but it's O'Neal and Dern's movie to win or lose. Isabelle Adjani is the Player, a young woman in desperate need of money who provides an alibi for the Driver after the opening getaway. If there was a love interest, Adjani would be it, but the story doesn't have time to waste with a love story. Ronee Blakley is the Connection, the woman who sets the Driver up with jobs and seems to have some sort of past with him but that could be me overanalyzing. Felice Orlandi and Matt Clark are two of Dern's fellow detectives working the case and Joseph Walsh and Rudy Ramos are Glasses and Teeth, two crooks who need the Driver's services.

A quasi-existential chase movie that's a lot of fun to watch, especially for any fans of car chases in the vein of Bullitt, The French Connection, and Two-Lane Blacktop. Stars Ryan O'Neal and Bruce Dern look to be having a good time making it, and director Walter Hill turns in a taut, exciting story dominated by car chases at either end of the movie. Car junkies shouldn't miss this one.

The Driver <----trailer (1978): ***/****

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

I'm a sucker for movies about or dealing with cars. It doesn't even have to be the main storyline, I just need a good chase like Bullitt or The French Connection. One of my favorite movies as a kid, and I do still like it, was The Love Bug. I know little to nothing about cars other than hitting the gas pedal makes them go, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate them. Like the Fast and the Furious series, which I can admit are not good movies but they sure are entertaining.

Since its release in 2006, I avoided The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift like the plague. None of the original cast was in it, but rapper Bow-Wow was, and it seemed like a cheap ploy to capitalize on a hugely successful franchise. Well, after hearing a couple positive reviews from people I typically agree with on movies and seeing the 4th movie in the franchise this week, I gave Tokyo Drift a shot. It's not as good as the other three movies in the series and could easily be it's own stand-alone movie but with the 'Fast and Furious' title it will always be compared to the others.

Credit is due though for not just doing the same old thing with street racing. Director Justin Lin, who also directed Fast and Furious, introduces us to a new style of driving/racing called drifting which if you've played any number of racing games you should be familiar with it. It can be odd to watch cars drift because it seems they're totally out of control, but as the special features on the DVD point out, the driver is actually more in control to get the car to move like that. Drifting is quite a visual sport for fans as drivers make crazy turns around corners and into places you'd assume they could not fit.

The racing sequences here are pretty good and not overly reliant on CGI and green-screen shooting. The special features show how the cast went through drift training so that even if they weren't required to do the actual driving in the movies, it looked realistic when they were actually filmed in the car. Here's a great example from the movie of some drifting with one big SPOILER though at the end. Another positive is that Lin doesn't cut these scenes so quickly that the images become incoherent. I've bitched and moaned about it before with the quick-cutting fight/chase scenes so I won't go over it all again, but if you want the viewer to be impressed with what's going on on the screen, show it to us. Don't cut so quickly that we can't tell what's going on. Tokyo Drift is a prime example of how good a sequence can be when done right.

With no Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, or Tyrese here, the story focuses on Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), a high school student sent to live with his Navy dad (Brian Goodman) in Tokyo after he's gotten in trouble with the police again. His options? Tokyo or juvy. Adjusting to his new life in Japan, Sean gets involved with street racing, drifting, right away. But in his first race, he destroys the car and has to work for the owner, Han (Sung Kang), a top of the line drifter/racer who's also into some seemingly shady business deals with D.K. (Brian Tee). D.K. is low-level Japanese mafia working for his uncle. Bullheaded and stubborn as always, Sean wants to learn how to drift with the tension building to the inevitable confrontation with D.K. after some shenanigans.

The only cast connection to the other movies is Kang's Han character who is in the 4th one too. Tokyo Drift is actually the 4th movie in the timeline, coming after 'Fast and Furious.' I've liked Black a lot since I saw him in Friday Night Lights, and he's a good lead, if not great, as Boswell. With his Southern drawl, Black comes across naturally onscreen and looks to handle a lot of the driving himself. Bow Wow is surprisingly good as Twinkie, another American who becomes friends with Sean. Not much is required of the part, but if done poorly it could have been really bad. Kang and Tee provide some tension as the good and bad opposites, especially Kang's Han as Sean's drift teacher. And as the requisite love interest, Nathalie Kelley plays Neela, D.K.'s girlfriend of sorts who Sean sets his targets on. Like Bow Wow, she makes the character likable/sympathetic instead of being the whiny, helpless girl in the background. And it never hurts, looks good doing it.

SPOILERS ahead. Stop reading if you don't want to know about a cameo at the end. One other connection worth mentioning to the other three movies. Sean defeats D.K. (I was surprised too *wink*) and prior to racing gets a message that an old friend of Han's wants to race him. Cue Diesel's very brief appearance as Dom Toretto. It doesn't really serve a purpose, but it is cool to see him come back since leaving after the original. The connection is made early in the 4th movie if you're dying to know.

Which brings me to hopefully the fifth movie in the series. How about Diesel, Walker, Tyrese and Black team up? I don't know how it'd work or where the story would go, but it would definitely be cool to see all four team up. Final thoughts on Tokyo Drift though, entertaining movie that while not as good as the other three, is a worthy entry into the Fast and Furious series. It doesn't deserve some of the abuse its taken since it was released in 2006.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift <----trailer (2006): ***/****

Fast and Furious

Let's play a game. You make a movie that is a huge success and makes you a huge star. Naturally, talk of a sequel comes up, but you want nothing to do with it. So the sequel is made without you while you make such classics as Babylon A.D., Chronicles of Riddick, and xXx. Then eight years after the first movie, you finally return to the series that made you a star with a sequel. If you've guessed I'm talking about Vin Diesel, you win a cookie.

To be fair, I don't mean to criticize Diesel who I'm a fan of even if his choice in what movies to do isn't great. But eight years since the huge success of The Fast and The Furious and two sequels that he didn't star in (although he does make an appearance in Tokyo Drift), Diesel returns to the franchise with this year's Fast and Furious. What happened to both of the 'the' from the original title?

I haven't seen all of Tokyo Drift, and I liked 2 Fast 2 Furious as much if not more than the original, but it's still nice to see the whole crew back together for the third sequel. Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster both return with Paul Walker also coming back after sitting out 'Tokyo.' The story picks up five years since the original with Dom Toretto (Diesel) and his girlfriend Letty (Rodriguez) leading a crew in the Dominican Republic who take down high-octane fuel shipments. If you saw the trailer, you got a good idea of the very cool opening sequence as Dom and crew take down a semi leading four tankers down a rocky, windy mountainside.

But SPOILER ALERT their actions put them back on the radar of any number of law enforcement officials looking for them. Hoping to keep Letty safe, Dom leaves her but when hiding out in Mexico finds out that she's been murdered. Dom returns to L.A. and with just one clue about the murder gets back into the world of illegal street racing...sort of. Meanwhile, Brian O'Conner (Walker) is now working for the F.B.I. on a case to bring down a drug cartel led by a man called Braga. And what do you know, Braga is looking for drivers to get a new shipment of heroin across the U.S./Mexico border. What are the odds then that Dom's and Brian's paths cross? I'd go with pretty good.

What surprised me about this third sequel from beginning to end was the more serious tone. We're not talking hardcore cop movie, but 'Fast and Furious' is not so light and fluffy with its story. The first three movies were loud, colorful and in your face with hip-hop and rap playing from end to end. Directed by Justin Lin, this one leans more toward getting into the minds of both Dom and Brian, Dom looking for revenge pure and simple and Brian hoping to close a case that's been open for years. I guess that happens when revenge is added to a storyline, the darker tone, but it works here. Previous villains in the series were over-the-top but never very intimidating. John Ortiz as Campos, Braga's right-hand man, and Laz Alonso as Fenix, Braga's top driver, are both strong villains, bad guys you're really rooting for to get shot.

I know what you're saying though, enough with the casting and the story. Get to the RACING! I was disappointed with the driving sequences here. The opening sequence, Dom and Letty taking down fuel tankers, is top notch and a great way to get your blood flowing for the rest of the movie. But much of the rest of the movie's racing scenes are heavy on CGI. Say what you want about the previous movies, especially the first two, but much of the driving was done by...you know, actual drivers. The end has an exciting chase as Dom and Brian gun it for the border across the Mexican countryside, but it derails when they're chased into a tunnel that goes under the border. It's all CGI and not necessarily good CGI.

All flaws aside though, I really enjoyed this newest entry into the F & F series. It was good to see Diesel and Walker back together especially with so much unresolved between them since the original. Maybe it's just because I liked the characters to begin with, but I liked those scenes between them as much as I did the action scenes. They form the uneasiest of alliances because they have the same final goal so for me, any buddy movie tandem is a good one. Walker doesn't look quite as baby-faced as he did in the original, and Diesel is cool regardless.

Rodriguez makes a quick cameo and is dead in the first 20 minutes and Brewster is eye candy and basically a background player, but she's still there so we've got that going for us. Who would have thought there's some remaining sexual tension between Mia and Brian? Also keep your eye on Gal Gadot who plays Gisele, one of Braga's assistants who takes a shine to Dom. The Israeli beauty is drop dead gorgeous.

So maybe not as action-packed as the trailer made it out to be, Fast and Furious is a worthy sequel and one fans of the franchise should be able to appreciate. The trailer is one of my favorites and really got me psyched to see the movie. As pointed out before, it's also a shorter version of the great opening sequence. The song choice, Does it Offend You, Yeah?, is a good one although the use in the trailer is better than the actual song. So if you've made it this far in the review, kudos because I stopped writing about racing paragraphs ago. It's a good sequel with a darker, revenge-driven story. You won't be disappointed.

Fast and Furious (2009): ***/****