Chris Reviews Fast and Furious 6

12 years ago I would never have imagined that an enjoyable riff off of Point Break that featured cars instead of surfing would turn into one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood. What is even more surprising is that after suffering through several bad sequels it managed to rebound and make one of the best summer films in 2011 with Fast Five. So does Fast and Furious 6 keep the fun coming or does it sink back to the terribleness that was 2 Fast 2 Furious? Check out my thoughts below.

The Good-

They definitely keep the fun coming in Fast and Furious 6. Most of the crew from Fast Five returns and the chemistry is surprisingly good. It can be a bit dorky at times but Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson are a strong trio and despite their mediocre acting chops are not terrible. The supporting cast is pretty good to with Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson exchanging funny insults throughout. Director Justin Lin continues to up the ante with some outstanding action sequences. The trailers spoiled the 2 biggest sequences (The Tank scene and the crew taking down a Cargo Plane) but there are plenty of action scenes that keep you entertained. I also love how these films are attempting to essentially become superhero films where the leads are able to do ridiculous stunts and there are at least 3 references to the Avengers throughout the film. That has become the main strength of these films in that they don't take themselves too seriously and just want to have outlandish fun. Watching the Fast and Furious films reminds me of when i used to play with Hot Wheels in my backyard when I was 5 and I mean that in the best way possible.     

The Bad-

While the film is a lot of fun it is not quite up to par with Fast Five. They try to make an overly complex plot that references events that took place in the 4th film (a very forgettable entry in the series) and when these films try to be too smart they tend to fall apart. That was my main complaint with this film is that the premise is really not all that interesting. It's just about some group of criminals trying to make an EMP like device and sell it on the black market but to do this they need to steal the parts, so Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) needs Vin Diesel and his crew to stop them. It was not a terrible plot but just not very interesting in comparison to some of the other films in the series. The action sequences while they were very entertaining where laughably over the top. It got to the point where people where laughing at it and making fun of it in the theater.

Summary-

Fast and Furious 6 is somewhere in between Fast Five and the 4th film Fast and Furious. It features exhilarating albeit WAY over the top action sequences and a serviceable but slightly boring plot. As far as summer blockbusters go this is solid and well worth your money.  Don't forget to wait for the after credits sequence that shows you who the next films villain will be.

MY RATING-

3 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart