Fast & Furious 6 Review
"There's never nothing. There's always something"
The sixth installment in the over the top eye spectacle franchise that is Fast and Furious is another step up for the series. In fact, it is such a step up that looking down will make you nauseous. Justin Lin returns for his fourth turn in the director's chair, and last until Fast 9 and 10 come along, and he brings everything full circle.
The Fast and Furious franchise is built on fan service, and this film picks right up where Fast Five left off. We no longer need to spend half the movie setting up the need to get the crew together, but we just start off with everyone right from the get-go. The Rock returns as big boy cop Hobbs, and rather than trying to act like a tough cop (with a noticeable sweat problem) he is now just playing The Rock. He is just a quip machine, slinging quips like a 4th grader slinging gumballs in math class. He, of course, needs to catch the worst terrorist of all time with the only crew even capable of taking him on, so naturally turn to all the most wanted criminals, by dangling the possibility of a loved one's apparent return from the dead. Bringing Letty back into the franchise was a great move, and it allowed for a lot of the tender moments among the crew.
The dynamics between Brian, Mia, Letty, and Dom have always been the emotional core of this franchise, even in Letty's absence, she was always commanding attention from those who survived her. Having lost all her memory escaping death, she finds herself on the terrorist side. Then they talk to her and make her like the old crew and rejoin with them, no real spoilers because the plot of this movie is thinner than paper.
One relationship that flourishes in this film is the continuation of fan favorites Han and Gisele falling in love. With a tragic end in sight down the line, it feels like a ticking time bomb and every interaction between the two of them is as magical as it is tragic. This is the balance that Lin has brought to the franchise, having the dumb over the top ridiculous action but also throw in plenty of real relationships for audiences to connect to.
The bromance of Roman and Tej continues as well, with them hurling insults out at each other like it's no one's business. They are genuinely hilarious and command the screen whenever they are there, but they don't ever really contribute to the softer moments of the film.
The actions set pieces in this film are unmatched by anything that has come before. The hand-to-hand combat in a prison cell and flying headbutts to the ramps cars and tanks on the highway, every set piece has it's "Wow" moment and makes itself memorable. Looking back at the previous films, there are not very many action scenes that I remember, while I was anticipating everything in Furious 6 and it was still as cool as the first time I watched it. Having the adversaries be figurative clones of the crew would normally be cheesy and dumb, but F&F acknowledges it in the movie and makes fun of itself, hyping up the moments where the characters would face off with their counterparts.
The cinematography is great in this movie with easy to follow action, and some scenes even feeling straight out of The Dark Knight. Punctuated by an awesome soundtrack, the best since Tokyo Drift. But rather than making a bad movie watchable, the soundtrack makes an incredible movie fantastic. Also, the stinger post-credits scene is the best thing ever and is the most heartbreaking and hype things ever in cinema. Marvel movies are good at it, but this particular one is the perfect introduction of a character while finally letting another rest.
Final Score: 9.5/10