Fast and Furious Review

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

                The Fast and Furious series has been in a tail spin since the first film was released to theaters back in 2001.  Neither 2 Fast 2 Furious or the third installment Tokyo Drift were able to catch lightning in a bottle like the first one was able to.  I suppose Universal realized that the popularity for their franchise was slumping and so the original cast members were rounded up and the result is Fast and Furious. 

                The movie picks up sometime between the second and third films, taking place before the events in Tokyo Drift.  Dominic(Vin Diesel) and his gang, are in Mexico stealing gas, and O’Conner(Paul Walker) is in California chasing down thugs, attempting to bust up illegal drug rings for the FBI.  After learning that the cops are after him, Dom decides to leave his crew and return to the US, saving them from sharing in his demise.  When tragedy strikes, the same old players are thrown into the underground street racing scene once again; Dom to out for revenge, and O’Conner looking for a big bust.

                Fast and Furious is not going to be a film for every one, I will make that clear up front.  This isn’t the Citizen Kane of car flicks, the story won’t blow you away, and no one is going to win a academy award for their effort.  That isn’t what this movie is attempting to be, Justin Lin has a fairly good idea of what his audience wants to see, and he brings that vision to the screen.  People go to see Fast and Furious movies to see cars go fast and get smashed and the movie does not disappoint in this regard.  The racing sequences are edge of your seat thrill rides, with plenty of speed and destruction along the way and the story does just enough to keep it interesting in between the next action sequence. 

                The story in this F&F film is definitely an improvement over the last two and manages to keep the film from being just about the car chases, if you saw the first film, and are invested in the characters, the story is sure to keep your interest and provide a decent amount of entertainment value.  The acting can best be described as serviceable, Vin Diesel does a good job as Dom, but Walker can be somewhat wooden at times, in particular his early exchange with Jordanna Brewster’s character, Mia, feels awkward.  The scene is supposed to be an emotional charged one and Walker’s delivery is distracting and devoid of emotion. 

                The race sequences look great, and are well executed, with CGI being used sparingly, a welcome change.  In particular the tryout race, is a joy to watch, feeling like it is a real life representation of something you would seen in the Burnout video games series.  In these scenes Walker really comes into his own, as he really seems at home behind the wheel.  There is quite a bit of CGI at other times, but the CGI is necessary in those instances. 

                This installment in the F&F franchise is definitely the best so far, the story is good, they have quite a bit of actual car stunts, and none of the actor are major detriments to the film.  If you are looking for a movie where things go fast and stuff blows up then this is it.   Fast and Furious is a sure fire guilty pleasure.    

 

Score: 7/10            

Joker Art Exhibition

Pretty awesome collection of joker art, check it out.  

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/04/02/cool-stuff-the-jokers-wild-art-show/#more-23869

Sunshine Cleaning Review

Director: Christine Jeffs

Starring:  Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin

Amy Adams latest film Sunshine Cleaning is a film that has a lot going for it.  The movie revolves around Rose Lorkowski(Amy Adams), and her family.  Her life is one with many problems, she is seeing a man that is married, her child can’t seem to keep out of trouble, and she is stuck in a less than desirable job.  Her family situation isn’t much better; her father is a widower (Alan Arkin), with get rich quick schemes dominating his time, and her sister (Emily Blunt) is a stoner/slacker living life on the fringe.  Desperate, after her sons latest problem cause him to be pulled out of school, her married cop lover (Steve Zahn), suggests that she get into the business of cleaning up crime scenes.  With the reluctant help of her sister, she jumps head first into the field of “biohazard removal”.

The plot of the film is admittedly weak and somewhat predictable; many will be able to guess what is coming next, but this is not necessarily a terrible thing.  While it does, at times, drift into familiar territory it does so in such a way that the audience can forgive it and the plot manages to be interesting enough to keep viewers engaged, enabling Blunt and Adams acting talents to shine.

This is the main attraction of the film, the acting of Adams and Blunt.  Adams is fantastic in her role and is able to connect with the audience and make her character both believable and sympathetic.  Blunt also does a fantastic job, owning her character and serving as a good counterpoint to Adams hardworking one.  Their interactions on screen are the highlight of the film, with the cleaning sequences, particularly the early ones, adding a humorous element; that keeps the film upbeat.

  Arkin, as the father and grandfather figure, adds to the mix, bringing his considerable talents to the table.  His role is similar to the one he portrayed in Little Miss Sunshine as the humorous, scheming grandfather.  The young actor, who plays Adams’ son in the film, is also amusing.  In particular, his scene in the candy store is memorable as he tells the young girl that strawberry fancy corn will give her bionic strength.

The film is an admittedly morbid, with death obviously in the forefront, but this is well balanced by the humorous elements, which keep it from becoming a drag.  Anytime that Blunt or Adams are on screen, either together or apart, they steal the scenes, showcasing their considerable ability.  Ultimately, I would recommend the film, it is sure to pull on your heart strings, and put a smile on your face, something many movies cannot claim.

Score: 7/10

CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR FAST AND FURIOUS REVIEW!!!!