There were moments during the show when I gasped deep and mouthed, “This can’t be possible!” It was almost like the clip when Edward of Twilight saved Bella from a would-be car accident at school. That superhuman power. That moment, I did not see Vin Diesel as Vin Diesel. I saw him as a demigod. That powerful leap into midair, with razor sharp trajectory precision. Something that parachutists might be able to do at terminal velocity. Or maybe not. I couldn’t help but wonder if someone was to jump out from a fast moving vehicle on a highway, grab a 60kg object that is thrown onto him, and then land on his back through the shattered glass, would he have survived? Not a bone broken?
Vin Diesel is not the only invincible one here. Those leaps between a plane that was about to take off and the cars below struggling to gain traction, wow! One could take a multistory fall and land right onto a car seat OK. That is incredible. More incredible so is: How long was the runway exactly? That airplane scene went on and on as though the runway was as long as two parallel lines stretching into infinity.
Actually, these things don’t bother me too much. I knew what I was in for. What really bothers me is that why would one of my favorite characters die when everyone else is given such superhuman treatment? Puzzling. Perhaps that character did not die. Perhaps the answer lies in the future installments. I can only hope.
I can imagine why Fast & Furious 6 is popular. I like cars. While taking the action to fist fighting, tank smashing, and plane crashing may seem too far off from the franchise, I still like the car scenes a lot. Of course, I wish that the convoy on the final missions was the same make, same color. Like some of the memorable scenes in the earlier installments. That visual coherence would have radiated a stronger sense of teamwork. I am a Formula One fan. Those F1 like cars in Furious 6 are quite something. They seem like working prototypes. If the filmmakers manage to build those, in real life, I doubt any road car would be able to get close at all.
In a way, the franchise has grown up quite a bit. It is not about street racing anymore. It is like a mini-Expendables whereby the ex-criminals’ skills are required in saving the world. Or saving a briefcase. Some of the dialogues can be kind of cheesy. But because most the characters – especially so for Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and The Rock – are so cool, I really don’t mind. The exchange between Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson – also a musician – is hilarious. Some parts of the movie struck my emotional core too. Overall, an entertaining movie.
Looks like Jason Statham from The Transporter will be starring in Fast & Furious 7. At least it looks so from the post-credit scene. It is hard to visualize him as a villain though. We shall see.