Four, its such a tricky number. In the world of film series its the one that usually pushes things just a little too far, perching precariously on the straight to DVD shelf, before anything that follows descends into the mire of classic continuation like Jason X. Of course thats not saying you cant break the rules, usually by leaving a healthy few years between it and the previously imagined series end so the glow of nostalgia imbues a half-decent return to form with misplaced and unforeseen messianic glory (yes, Im talking to you Lucas..). But in the case of those fast and sometimes furious street racers, number four comes relatively fast on the heels of 2006s low-key Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and seems to be a simple wake up call, both for the series, and Vin Diesels box office mojo.
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Its certainly an improvement on its predecessor and the loud mess that was 2 Fast 2 Furious, and its not entirely unsuccessful, but in trying to expand beyond the simple joy of the originals adrenaline-fuelled, motorised mayhem it traps itself into thinking that dramatic layering (however shallow and familiar) is more worthwhile than the entire reason for the series existence. Namely roads, racers, and speed. Theres a typical high-octane opening as Toretto (Diesel) and his crew, including his squeeze Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) attempt a high-speed motorway hijack of a petrol tanker south of the border, but its a bit of a false face as the real purpose of this film, as becomes quickly and abundantly clear, is to allow Diesel to take on the mantle of revenge driven lunk. If youre familiar with TheBourne Supremacy thats all I need to say. Admittedly Diesel does this kind of role with fair ease; hes a growling behemoth, a street racing Terminator, and in fact in one sequence he even manages to shrug off a bullet with annoyed and amusing aplomb. Brian OConners (Paul Walker) entrance doesnt even merit a vehicle as he continues the thriller blueprint as a be-suited, California blond bond in a kinetic foot chase over rooftops, down stairwells and out a window. Still, at least he gets to land on a 4x4. Eventually we do get the obligatory auto-porn, the familiar race day of glitz, girls, cohones and all the flashy urban ridiculousness as Diesel and Walker try to get in with the films big bad, but it all seems a little forced, a kind of well we had to really, and the mix of high-grade redundant graphics with the actual race footage seems to show a distinct lack of confidence in what should be the series bread and butter. Needless to say theres a set-piece moment of driving as part of the actual criminal activites on the Mexico/US border, but its so over the top, so reliant on patently impossible driving skill, that its the skills of a bunch of CGI wizards that actually impress the most. Still, at least not all the heroes get away clean; well at least not until the final game breaker which sets up a potential further instalment should Diesel indeed get his mojo back. Plus Torettos sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) finally gets to actually sit behind the wheel. This time around the stakes are naturally higher (bigger pic, bigger crime), but where The Fast and the Furious was a souped up street racer with extra NOS; it was in cars, around cars, about cars; in Fast and Furious cars become a thin veneer on the skeleton of a conventional action/thriller, and by attempting to create those extra dimensions the singular (and efficient) dimension that made number one such a guilty pleasure is frankly lost.