Originally posted on Facebook - April 1, 2009
I just watched this 2006 movie, in advance of the fourth installment coming out this weekend. I found it extremely poor and I want to let you know why.
1. It's not a "The Fast and the Furious" movie. The first two installments established the franchise as involving illegal streetracing, organized crime, and undercover law enforcement. This movie is about a high school outsider who proves himself, finds his place, and gets the girl (a plot in which streetracing is a trope and organized crime is incidental). There's nothing wrong with that kind of movie, except the title in this case.
In fact, it's more of a sequel to director Justin Lin's 2002 film "Better Luck Tomorrow", since it at least has a character in common with that movie (Sung Kang as "Han"). Might as well have called it "Better Luck Tomorrow, White Boy."
2. Lucas Black is a terrible actor. Who decided to turn this guy into a lead performer? I thought his 'Bama accent, wooden expressions, and awkward approximations of feeling were laughable when he was a child star on "American Gothic". As an adult with ten years of experience, he should have made some progress. Alas, he has not. When your lead is inaccessible and unlikeable, your movie tends to suffer.
3. The cinematography and style are excellent and groundbreaking. The story is cliché and clumsy. The 3/10 score I gave it on IMDb is ALL for the former.
4. Ooh, he wins the big race using an American car with Japanese guts. Do I smell symbolism? Yes I do, and it smells awful.
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