Tagline: “New model. Original parts.â€
Translation: Tokyo Drift never happened.
The Verdict: Back in 2001, The Fast And The Furious was somewhat of a surprise hit; its domestic gross of nearly $150MM catapaulted Vin Diesel into the upper echelon of early aughts action stars. However, the remaining years haven’t been kind to either Diesel or the franchise: Diesel’s career went belly up when audiences figured out they vastly preferred the more charismatic and kid-friendly Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson, and the franchise took a turn for the worse with two watered down sequels that were Diesel-free. However, Universal looks to have a possible hit on their hands with this Spring’s Fast & Furious, which has been riding a wave of positive buzz ever since the kinda thrilling teaser trailer was released late last year. Not only does the film reunite the four stars of the original (Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster), but director Justin Lin has clearly been studying Paul Greengrass’ work on the Bourne films. Clearly, this one isn’t going to win any Oscars, but we’re cautiously optimistic that it will turn out to be a sufficiently entertaining multiplex diversion come April.
Must Watch: Highly Energetic New Fast and Furious Trailer [First Showing]