Status quo

Rating: 6/10 (22 January 2014)

"Fast & Furious 6" gives the series' rabid fan base pretty much everything it could possibly wish for: an array of uber-expensive, souped-up racecars; a heavy helping of in-group camaraderie; a bunch of super-macho posturing (even from the women); a bevy of scantily-clad, slow-motion groupies; a moderate dose of tough-guy sentiment (nothing too girly though); a smidgen of comic relief; a raft of ear-piercing gun battles and, of course, the series' patented trademark, a whole mess of turbo-charged chase scenes.
The plot - since contractual obligations demand there be one, I suppose - involves our favorite band of car racing outlaws (Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, et. al ) coming out of "retirement" in various foreign lands to help Dwayne Johnson's DSS agent take down an international heist gang in exchange for full immunity for the crew back in the States. There's a lot of talk about "the family" and much romantic palaver between Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, but that's basically just filler between all the spectacular (if scarcely plausible) race sequences - which is as it should be when you're fast and furious.
"Fast & Furious 6" ends with one of those "don't try this at home" provisos, which in light of the recent tragic fate of series star Paul Walker, seems more vital and relevant than ever (not to mention ironically prescient). Heed the warning.