The spot set aside for Justin Lin's high-numbered sequel of the petrol and adrenaline soaked car franchise was probably the least likely to get film fan's engines running, and it seemed almost frivolous for the franchise that can't seem to agree on quite what it's name is supposed to be to spend so much money on a Super Bowl spot. Surely their audience was guaranteed anyway? But since the fifth film changed direction to focus more on a heist movie with cars format, rather than the autovehicular pornography of the early films, the message is still vaguely appropriate. Plus, sports fans who love the clash of muscle on muscle might well be the perfect demographic (since it's not all film critics and fans watching these ads). The official synopsis for the film was released earlier this week:
Since Dom (Diesel) and Brian's (Walker) Rio heist toppled a kingpin's empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete. Meanwhile, Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organisation of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind (Evans) is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty (Rodriguez). The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level, so Hobbs asks Dom to assemble his elite team in London. Payment? Full pardons for all of them so they can return home and make their families whole again.
Fast & Furious 6, whose official title has yet to be confirmed, will open in US cinemas on May 24th, looking to emulate the track record of the five previous F&F movies which have collectively grossed over $1.5 billion (£950 million) worldwide. Here's the trailer in full... http://youtu.be/ozG6KQftTmc All in all, exactly what we expected. Cars, macho men (and women) and the kind of blistering tempo that sells this kind of movie to the adrenaline junkie masses. But there's definitely something bigger here - something more unhinged, thanks to the tank and the glimpse of a very Mad Max-like road vehicle - as well as a definite feel of an Autovehicle Ocean's 11. It looks like fans will continue to go and see them, but there's only so long until Jason Statham gets involved, and it all goes a bit wrong.