Fast & Furious 6
Director: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker, Luke Evans
After a decade, the unlikeliest of franchises heads into its sixth instalment. This time, Diesel and co team up with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Agent Hobbs (the antagonist from Fast Five) and travel to London to stop an arms dealer (Luke Evans) from stealing a deadly weapons navigation device.
Shifting gears from the street race scene to a broader heist movie (think Ocean's 11 with muscles and custom cars), it's very clear that the returning director Justin Lin knows what the audience wants - and he gives it to them. European motorways are shredded by careering automobiles, planes and even a tank at one point, in a film that makes sure you are never too far from an explosion or fire fight.
The laws of logic and physics are stretched to their breaking point, with many characters engaging in brutal fistfights and leaping from speeding vehicles. It's all ridiculous, but great fun and easy to get swept up into. Of the myriad recognisable faces in the cast (Michelle Rodriguez returns from the dead to resume her role from the first and third films), Johnson is the standout, evoking the kind of action goliath you just don't see any more, allowing Diesel to fully embrace his "strong, silent" lead that has earned him an army of fans.
The ever-impressive British actor Luke Evans proves a memorable bad guy, but all these likeable performances sadly only highlight the redundancy of Paul Walker, once the franchise's star, now more a sidekick to Diesel.
The credits promise more to come, with more stars and (no doubt) more action. For now, however, in a summer with so many high-profile disappointments, this low-intelligence, high-entertainment popcorn movie may be one of the stronger offerings.
artslife@thenational.ae
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