Fast and Furious series

 

When I was a kid, I never missed The Dukes of Hazzard.  The show about two cousins in the South dealing with a comedically corrupt local law enforcement and visiting bad guys was loaded with entertaining car chases and jumps.  The cousins’ car,  the General Lee, a red 1969 Dodge Charger with sealed doors, was as much a character as any of the speaking roles.  The first time I ever noticed a continuity error was catching that in some episodes the gear shift was on the floor and in others it was near the wheel meaning they were using lots of cars.  I also usually caught it when footage (especially the jumps) was re-used. The jumps were exaggerated but largely done for real (a car was wrecked after each one).  While the stunts were good the charm of the show came from its characters, and its bluegrass score.

My experience with this show got me excited when I first saw the trailer for Gone in Sixty Seconds which had a similar muscle car (a ’67 Mustang) and looked like it would have some of the same charm.  Unfortunately, despite a strong cast the film was boring and the big jumps used digital effects which made them look fake.  As a result when The Fast and Furious was released a year later I paid no attention.  In 2003 I saw XXX on DVD and was put off by Vin Diesel’s performance in which he seemed to be acting as though he was above the material (after liking his supporting turns in Saving Private Ryan and Boiler Room) so I was not inclined to see more of his work.  As the Fast sequels started to come, I gradually developed some awareness of the stories and I caught pieces of the second and fourth on TV.  When Fast Five was released it was such a sensation that I saw it on DVD.  I enjoyed it enough that I’ve seen each one in the cinema since but had never seen the old ones.  Prior to watching F9 we decided to marathon the series.  As always spoilers follow:

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

The original, which was based on an article director Rob Cohen read about illegal street racing, is a guilty pleasure in which a cop investigating some highway robberies goes undercover with some street racers.  Paul Walker looks good but has a slightly bland voice as Brian O’Conner.  Vin Diesel is the memorably named Dominic Toretto who we are supposed to believe is Jordana Brewster’s brother (which was one was adopted?).  Given the emphasis on Michelle Rodriguez’ character in the latter films I was surprised she had little to do here other than be Dom’s tough girlfriend.  Rick Yune, who had a key role in Die Another Day a year later, plays the film’s villain, Johnny Tran. 

There are three key car sequences.  The first is a nighttime street race in Los Angeles that plays out on an empty street conveniently right next to typically traffic packed ones.  The second is a terrifically staged highway robbery gone bad.  Cohen seems to take a little inspiration from Spielberg’s film Duel in which we never see the trucker’s face.  It occurred to me that as exciting as this scene is if it were made now it would involve a plane or some other vehicle.  The final is a street race between Dom and Brian in which Dom debuts his father’s Dodge Charger and they play chicken with a train and each other.  Dom is more talkative and smiles more than in later films but overall, is much the same character.  I wasn’t quite sure why Brian let Dom get away as I think the film is trying to sell us on a great friendship that it has not really earned.  But it provides a set up for potential future films though I doubt anyone involved at the time ever thought the thought the series would grow the way it has.  ***

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

The late John Singleton, who directed the terrific Boyz in the Hood, took the wheel for the first sequel, which is headlined by Paul Walker after Vin Diesel declined to return.  In the film Brian, now a fugitive for having let Dom escape in the first film, is given a chance to clear his name by going undercover as a driver for a drug dealer based in Miami.  Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris join the series as Roman and Tej, as a driver Brian knew growing up with a criminal past, and a well-connected person in the Miami street racing world respectively.  Eva Mendes plays an U.S. Customs undercover agent in with Tony Varone, played by Cole Hauser. 

The plot is a little convoluted with Brian and Roman trying to outsmart both the FBI and Varone but leads to a memorable third act sequence in which Brian and Roman switch cars during a money delivery to Varone while eluding the cops.  As a resident of South Florida I was a little distracted by all the geography switches during this chase in which the characters are on Route 75 northwest of Miami,  Route 95 in Miami (about 35 miles away), the Florida Turnpike, and in the Keys.  Earlier there is a reference to a Beach Road running west in Miami which I have never heard of though there is an Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.  Roman is a more interesting partner for Brian in this film than Dom in the last one.  As Walker plays him now, Brian is apparently enjoying his new lifestyle.  Mendes, other than a big scene early, does little other than look good and make Varone jealous since she clearly likes Brian.  The film has some fun moments, but I cannot recommend it. **

Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

The third in the series is similar to the Halloween and Jaws series in their third entries in using the concept but introducing new protagonists.  This often comes from original cast members not wanting to return.  In this instance it refreshes the series.  Lucas Black plays a troubled American teenager named Sean who is sent to Tokyo to live with his father after a racing incident gets him in trouble.  Of course, once he arrives, he delves into the street culture and develops a friendship with Sung Kang’s Han, whose presence continues throughout the series (despite his fate here).  The film also has a small role for legendary Japanese martial artist star Sonny Chiba.

Director Justin Lin brought an innovative visual style in using a robot camera at street level to capture the chases better.  The drifting concept added a stylistic touch beyond just cars going faster.  While there are obvious CGI in the background there are no stunts like a CGI car jumping over the other as in 2 Fast 2 Furious.  Lin’s work was so effective he has directed as of 2021 four more films in the series.

The Tokyo setting is unique (I especially liked how cramped the living quarters were) though the film could have explained a little more how Sean was handling going to school in Japanese.  Both the climactic mountain race in which Sean races his dad’s 1967 Mustang vs. Takashi’s Nissan Silvio, and the Tokyo chase are thrilling.  Black, who was so good as a child in Sling Blade, still has a strong screen presence and his strong Alabama accent is an effective contrast to the other voices in the film.  Sung Kang has a lot of easy charisma as Han, an unassuming fellow who, probably as a result of the events in Fast Five, has a nice supply of funds.  Tokyo Drift is not perfect (Cindy declaring herself the prize of a race between two macho guys is tasteless) but it fits the bill.  Dom’s appearance feels a little tacked on but lets the film finish in a literal rush. ***

Fast and Furious (2009)

This film, cleverly marketed as New Model, Original Parts, is the first sequel to bring back most of the original cast and plays as a continuation of that story, which plays much better with than if it had taken place 2 years after the first film.  The heart of the film is the reconnecting of Dom and Brian after Brian has now joined the FBI and Dom goes to L.A. to avenge Letty’s “murder” by a drug dealer named Braga.  The film opens with a fantastic truck heist in which Dom and Letty try to rob a tanker that is transporting gas in the Dominican Republic, marred only slightly by a clear digital stunt in which Dom and Letty drive under a rolling truck.  It gives Rodriguez a good stunt showcase on the trucks in what was likely supposed to be her final moments in the series. 

The Tokyo Drift team of director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan return and the car sequences are as inventive as ever, especially the climactic tunnel chase.  The film captures some of the weariness of an extended life on the run and cleverly connects Letty’s fate with Brian’s new job.  The desert settings of the Southwest give the film a new backdrop for the chases and this is the film that introduced the mainstream world to future Woman Woman Gail Gadot, who was cast after not quite landing the role of Camille in Quantum of Solace, which had the same casting director.  The scene with a pending bus crash is one of the best finales I have seen.***

Fast Five (2011)

This film is seen as the high point of the series.  Fast Five is a heist film with Dom and the gang hiding from the U.S. in Rio (though primarily shot in Puerto Rico) and they decide to rob Reyes, a drug dealer played by Portuguese actor Joaquin De Almeida, in largely the same vein of roles he played in 24 and Desperado.  The film builds the core cast by bringing 2 Fast 2 Furious’ Tej and Roman to the team which contrasts well off the more serious Dom and Brian, as well as giving bigger roles to Han and Gisele.  I also like the new character of Elena Neves played by Elsa Pataky (wife of Thor actor Chris Hemsworth) who bonds with Dom over their shared loss although I don’t see how they got together based on the staging of the climax.  Fast Five also introduces Dwanye Johnson as the hard charging agent Hobbs, who is reminiscent of Tommy Lee Jones’ Gerard in The Fugitive.  Until this point I never thought much of Johnson as an actor but this role suits him well, though I expect he was cast because his size would allow for a good fight between him and the muscular Diesel.  The fact that the character has stayed around for so many films speaks a lot to his appeal. 

The film has three standout sequences:  a car robbery on a train in which Dom literally steps out from the light for his big introduction (since Diesel is now a producer this seems self-indulgent), a rare vehicle free chase through the favelas in Rio, and a climactic chase involving a safe being towed by two cars.  All three, along with the fun interplay with the characters and the time allowed to show the characters’ lives after the heist make this my favorite in the series  ****. 

Fast and Furious 6 (2013)

Here the films transition more into a Mission Impossible type series and Dom sadly starts to become a superhuman.  Dom and Brian, who are living in the Canary Islands, are recruited by Hobbs to stop a criminal named Owen Shaw, played by Luke Evans, when Hobbs shows them that Letty is now alive and running with Shaw.  The film’s best moments are the quieter ones in which Dom and Brian talk about fatherhood and Dom and Letty have a chat after their street racing battle.  However, the film skips over a lot of beats with Elena, who has no hesitation about sending Dom after Letty. Dom also never seems conflicted about going back with Letty after living with Elena, and she somehow goes to work for Hobbs after pulling a gun on him early in the film.

Two of the big action sequences do not quite deliver.  The nighttime chase in London is confusing despite the good camera work because the streets are not well lit, and I found it hard to track each character’s objective.  The highway chase at the end of the second act makes little sense, and Dom flying across a bridge to save Letty is ridiculous.  The final airport sequence is exciting (though it must be the longest runway in history), and the fights between Letty and Riley, played by MMA star Gina Carano, are well staged, as is the final four way between Hobbs, Dom, and Shaw and his enormous henchman.  Gisele’s sacrifice for Han is moving as well. 

Another weak point is Letty shooting Dom in the shoulder and his recovery by simply removing the slug.  Diesel and director Lin are trying to shock the audience but do not want to pay the price by having Dom partially incapacitated for the rest of the film. 

Letty's resurrection feel likes a cheap soap opera retcon, especially since Dom processed Letty’s loss over two films.  

Despite some good moments Fast and Furious 6 falls short in too many areas.  The best beat is the finale when the driver of the car that T-Bones Han in Tokyo Drift turns out to be Deckard Shaw played by veteran action star Jason Statham which sets up the much better sequel.  **

Furious 7 (2015)

I wonder what it would be like to watch this film without being aware of the tragedy that struck in the middle of production when Paul Walker (who played Brian O’Connor) was killed in a high-speed car accident unrelated to the filming.  When I first saw Furious 7 it was hard to look at Brian without thinking about it though now it was easier until the final scene.

Since we know Walker was not quite finished watching the film invites close scrutiny as to which of his scenes are done with doubles and old footage and which were done for real.  To my untrained eye some of the group shots in which Brian appears but does not speak and his fight sequence in the third act which is shot in the dark were probably done without him.   The final beach and driving scene were clearly done as a tribute to Walker (we never get a good look at Brian on the beach).  Director James Wan and Diesel really deliver with the last scene which is an emotional tribute that is in the spirit of the series.  Dom looks like he is seeing a ghost as Brian smiles at him, to the tune of “See You Again”.     

The rest of the film is largely a duel of Dom vs. Shaw, two men who are defending and avenging their families respectively, though I think this would work better if Dom had killed Owen in the last film.  The opening scene shows Wan’s suspense film background as we see an unbroken shot of the mayhem Shaw has wrought at the hospital.  Statham is both unhinged and focused as Deckard Shaw.  From the way he dismissively sits at his computer when he meets Hobbs to later when he is eating a meal as the heroes think they have him trapped Shaw is the first of only two memorable villains of the series thus far.   When Shaw stands toe to toe with Hobbs in a fight it shows us that we should be afraid.

The first act has an ominous tone as Shaw is established as a ruthless snake who will strike anywhere.  Kurt Russell, whose character Snake Plisken from Escape from NY (and LA)  is like a harder version of Dom, has a ball as Mr. Nobody.  The Caucasus Mountain sequence may be the best action scene in the series from the car skydiving (brilliantly punctuated by Roman’s hilarious fear) through all the various maneuvers hurt only by Dom driving his Charger off a cliff and somehow surviving.    

The car stunts in the Abu Dhabi scene look cool but are absurd though by the logic of the movie Dom and Brian could easily have survived if they had been in the car when it dropped from the building.  MMA fighter Rhonda Rousey is a good opponent for Letty even though her line deliveries are weak.

God’s Eye is an effective MacGuffin and Nathalie Emmanuel is a nice addition as Ramsey.  The nighttime climax is a little over the top but the conclusion is touching as we learn that Letty and Dom are married, and most importantly that she remembers it which closes out their reconnection.****

The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Dom is blackmailed into turning against his family by a cyberterrorist who has kidnapped the son Dom never knew he had.  Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren join the series as Cipher and Mrs. Shaw, the mother of the Shaw brothers.  Director F. Gary Gray, who directed the entertaining 2003 remake of The Italian Job with Theron and Statham, brings a slightly darker tone to this film.  Theron plays against her looks with a set of dreadlocks and a cold-eyed stare suggesting that she is always a step ahead and it’s fun to watch her butt heads with Dom.  Mirren has a lot of fun with a Cockney accent.

Deckard Shaw starts working with the team and develops a further love hate relationship with Hobbs, highlighted by some hilarious putdowns (the toothbrush line was my favorite). 

I can believe that Dom had a son with Elena but not that she would not have told him she was pregnant.  How was Elena pregnant from the beginning of Fast and Furious 6 but only has an infant two films later (in which clearly a lot of time has passed-ie Han’s whole adventure in Tokyo, and Hobbs’ daughter is older than in Furious 7).  Other than it being a plot hole the only explanation would be Dom got together with Elena between Furious 7 and Fate of the Furious but that would go against both their natures. 

The raining cars is inventive, and I liked seeing the team in NYC, as well as the opening scenes in Cuba.  Seeing Dom against the team is a new dynamic.  The submarine battle is a little over the top. ***

F9 (2021)

I am not sure what to make of F9.  On the positive front I liked the history of Dom and Jakob.  John Cena is believable enough as Diesel’s brother.  Although Jakob has not been mentioned before the flashbacks provide enough context.  Michael Rooker, who has been in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies with Diesel, as a mechanic recalls his role in Days of Thunder.  Han’s return is probably due both to director Lin coming back but also to justify keeping his killer in a semi heroic role, though they never show how Mr. Nobody got him out of the car and it makes even less sense than Letty’s resurrection.  However, Han’s story has some poignancy and it was good to include Tokyo Drift characters who were close to him.  Also, I liked seeing Letty and Dom raising Brian in the country and the brief return of Cipher with a new haircut.

But there are many negatives.  Dom and Letty appear to leave their young son alone to go on the mission (later we find out Dom took him to his Mia and Brian's house).  After the team does not find Mr. Nobody they only focused on hunting for Ares and never again mention him.  The cliff jump in the first chase sequence is beyond absurd.  The magnet gives the team a big cheat code during the final chase so they do not need to outdrive their opponents, just turn the switch.  Also, when James Bond went to space in Moonraker at least he took a shuttle but Roman and Tej took a Pontiac Fiero, which would probably fall apart if it drove 80 miles an hour.  The only upside I see is there is one less Pontiac on Earth.  If this is the kind of action we can expect then I might skip any future entries. **