Still Fast, Still Furious, Still Entertaining

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2013)

Fast and Furious has become the most awkwardly successful franchise in the history of film, and the sixth installment just adds to the insanity. Since when does a Part 6 to ANY film find any success or quality? This is an underrated first in cinematic history (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi does not count) as this testosterone-laden monolith of an action flick delivers the women, cars, action, comedy, and themes of family that has become a staple to the franchise since its subtle revival in Fast and Furious.
If you have enjoyed this new direction of the Fast/Furious series then there will be nothing here that will disappoint you, from the stunts to the direction to the manly cast that makes the male viewers watching this look like Steve Urkel. The plot is a simple stop-that-man tale that involves the entire cast from Fast Five as well as a couple familiar faces from previous installments, which explains the opening sequence playing out like a flashback. The rest of the movie plays out like an extremely expensive music video with likable characters and high octane action sequences attached.
What keeps the motors of this movie (and franchise overall) running is the very likable cast of characters and the connection they've developed with the dedicated fanbase. Even though certain characters like Brian and Mia (Paul Walker shines but is limited) have taken less screen time and we have more focus on Dom and Luke (Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson), they each have their moments to shine and get the audience excited. The writing doesn't totally excel but it goes straight to the point of the conflict at hand and what is at stake.
But the cars and what happens to them is the heart and soul of Fast 6. Justin Lin is improving as an action director as he delivers the sequences with precise camera movement, surprisingly crisp cinematography, and enough space so that you can see the sheer scale of the mayhem occurring. While Fast Five still has the ultimate action sequence in the past half-decade, the latter action scenes will leave you breathless guaranteed.
This is a very you-get-what-you-paid for film, as it doesn't quite take the franchise to the next level, but maintains delivering what you've come to expect out of these films. The beautiful women will be here, as well as the buff men, the tough-as-nails action, the beautiful cars, the good soundtrack, and a pace that matches that of a car---once the engines are running it truly takes off. While there is no evolution, there is plenty of entertainment to go around for everybody willing to watch.
And do stay tuned for the credits. Just when you think that eventual next installment might be overkill, you will leave the theater excited.