Spring-Loaded
Member
Had been semi-jokingly talking up doing a marathon of these for a while, and it ended up happening about a week ago.
Everyone involved had at least seen up to the first two movies, so we just skipped through those.
The first movie was just so typical early 2000s american action movie, though the final drag race to beat the train, coupled with the understanding between to two street racers that transcends their individual ways of life was a precursor of the greatness the series would one day achieve
The second movie had Ludacris' perfect 'fro. That boat jump seemed ill-advised. I appreciated Tyrese wrapping his shirt around his fist before punching through the car window
The third movie seems to have had the most racing, but since the driving felt inconsequential from moment to moment (problem was evident in previous movies). I really liked how the gaijin protagonist actually sucked really bad for a long while at drifting, and the youths drifting through the mountains, which reminded me of this. That mid-movie chase was dumb, but it showed potential. One person watching it was upset about Han, but laughed at how it was just a random car that hit him. Or so it seemed at the time ...
The fourth movie brought about sense of weight to the driving that made the moment-to-moment action better. The bouncing "entrance to The Rock" exploding truck QTE was a notable exception, and was ridiculous. Nothing really happens aside from the Batman-style interrogation by Vin Diesel. He also investigates the scene where Michelle Rodriguez was supposedly slain, finding evidence like Batman would. Really liked seeing Mexico, even though it was mostly just El Chapo's drug tunnels. The tunnel chases were the kind of creative action sequence that I'd been waiting for. Vin Diesel did not wrap his shirt around his arm before breaking the car window
The fifth movie brought a sudden leap in quality overall. Actually compelling character interactions, every action sequence brought a smile to my face. The corny honorableness of The Furious is genuinely earnest and is therefore refreshing. The Rock's team members being tragically slain in an ambush, followed by The Furious coming to the rescue despite just having been arrested by the Rock was a great moment of visual storytelling—Vin Diesel reaching out to help the Rock up and the Rock silently taking his hand was powerful. The drug a safe through Rio, and used as a means of attacking pursuers. It's here where its established The Furious can intuit what the other members are thinking and where they are at all times
The sixth movie was incredible. The existence of an evil counterpart to The Furious aided b an amnesiac Michelle Rodriguez is compelling in an of itself. Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriquez's brief race and reunion was touching and tragic as she still didn't remember him. The bad guy's escape was appropriately car flavored—making the F&F universe one where using cars for everything (when carrying out heists, trying to rekindle loved ones' memories, fighting, etc.) makes sense and is effective/efficient is a good move. The tank sequence was incredible top-notch action, and Michelle Rodriguez realizing she can't side with the evil version of The Furious because of their collateral damage is actually a good narrative development. Her being caught by Vin Diesel seemed ridiculous in the gif I'd seen prior to watching the movie, but in context is makes sense that Vin Diesel's love for Michelle Rodriguez is what made it possible. Airstrip sequence was god-like. Vin Diesel's superman headbutt. Gal Gadot's anime-style sacrifice. Ludacris' harpoon Checkov's guns. The mid-credits scene made the person who really liked Han and commented on his disappointing exit suddenly become really invested in the story
The seventh movie IS PERFECTION. JASON STATHAM'S INTRODUCTION PROVES THAT JAMES WAN KNOWS WHAT'S GOOD. THE ROCK PERFORMS HIS SIGNATURE MOVE FROM HIS WRESTLING DAYS—THAT ALONE ESTABLISHES WAN AS HAVING EXCELLENT DIRECTORIAL JUDGEMENT. MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ'S AND VIN DIESEL'S HOME BEING BLOWN UP MAKES IT EVEN MORE PERSONAL. THEY PARACHUTE OUT OF A PLANE IN THEIR UNIQUE VEHICLES. MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ CATCHES PAUL WALKER WITH HER CAR. THE DUBAI SEQUENCE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND COMICAL, AND VIN DIESEL LIFTED THAT CAR WITH HIS BARE HANDS. THEY TAKE IT BACK TO THE STREETS OF L.A. AND EVADE THE DJIMON HOUNSOU-CONTROLLED DRONE THROUGH STREET RACING. JASON STATHAM AND VIN DIESEL HAVE A CAR DUEL, A BRIEF GUN DUEL THROUGH THEIR CARS, AND THEN A KALI STICK-LIKE FIGHT ATOP A PARKING GARAGE, THE CAR EQUIVALENT OF A HOTEL. VIN DIESEL STOMPS THE CRACKED PARKING GARAGE FLOOR AFTER IT'S PARTIALLY BROKEN BY DJIMON HOUNSOU'S HELICOPTER'S MISSILE FIRE, SENDING JASON STATHAM TUMBLING BELOW, ALIVE YET DEFEATED. THE ROCK SAVES THE HACKER NATHALIE EMMANUEL AND MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ BY DRIVING AN AMBULANCE OFF AN OVERPASS INTO THE DRONE BEFORE RIPPING OFF ITS GATLING GUN AND COVERING VIN DIESEL BEFORE THE LATTER RAMPS HIS CAR OFF THE PARKING GARAGE INTO THE HELICOPTER, YET MISSES AS THE PILOT DODGES IN THE LAST MINUTE, YET THE ROCK'S ANIME-STYLE INNER-MONOLOGUE ABOUT HOW VIN DIESEL COULDN'T HAVE SIMPLY MISSED RAMMING THE HELICOPTER AND MUST HAVE HAD A GREATER PLAN IS PRACTICALLY AUDIBLE, AND HE SHOOTS THE BAG OF GRENADES VIN DIESEL TOSSED ONTO THE HELICOPTER. The final race between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker was genuinely touching
Justin Lin and James Wan are what Michael Bay wishes his trash self could be
Moments like Vin Diesel jumping from one rooftop to another in Rio while evading cartel members, then hearing and looking back at the Rock smashing through a window behind him seems very anime, at least a 7 out of 10.
Looking forward to catching up on the 8th movie and whatever comes next. The series has an excellent amount of diversity in setting and cast, and the themes of family and honor make for media that feels as if it's made with love.
Everyone involved had at least seen up to the first two movies, so we just skipped through those.
The first movie was just so typical early 2000s american action movie, though the final drag race to beat the train, coupled with the understanding between to two street racers that transcends their individual ways of life was a precursor of the greatness the series would one day achieve
The second movie had Ludacris' perfect 'fro. That boat jump seemed ill-advised. I appreciated Tyrese wrapping his shirt around his fist before punching through the car window
The third movie seems to have had the most racing, but since the driving felt inconsequential from moment to moment (problem was evident in previous movies). I really liked how the gaijin protagonist actually sucked really bad for a long while at drifting, and the youths drifting through the mountains, which reminded me of this. That mid-movie chase was dumb, but it showed potential. One person watching it was upset about Han, but laughed at how it was just a random car that hit him. Or so it seemed at the time ...
The fourth movie brought about sense of weight to the driving that made the moment-to-moment action better. The bouncing "entrance to The Rock" exploding truck QTE was a notable exception, and was ridiculous. Nothing really happens aside from the Batman-style interrogation by Vin Diesel. He also investigates the scene where Michelle Rodriguez was supposedly slain, finding evidence like Batman would. Really liked seeing Mexico, even though it was mostly just El Chapo's drug tunnels. The tunnel chases were the kind of creative action sequence that I'd been waiting for. Vin Diesel did not wrap his shirt around his arm before breaking the car window
The fifth movie brought a sudden leap in quality overall. Actually compelling character interactions, every action sequence brought a smile to my face. The corny honorableness of The Furious is genuinely earnest and is therefore refreshing. The Rock's team members being tragically slain in an ambush, followed by The Furious coming to the rescue despite just having been arrested by the Rock was a great moment of visual storytelling—Vin Diesel reaching out to help the Rock up and the Rock silently taking his hand was powerful. The drug a safe through Rio, and used as a means of attacking pursuers. It's here where its established The Furious can intuit what the other members are thinking and where they are at all times
The sixth movie was incredible. The existence of an evil counterpart to The Furious aided b an amnesiac Michelle Rodriguez is compelling in an of itself. Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriquez's brief race and reunion was touching and tragic as she still didn't remember him. The bad guy's escape was appropriately car flavored—making the F&F universe one where using cars for everything (when carrying out heists, trying to rekindle loved ones' memories, fighting, etc.) makes sense and is effective/efficient is a good move. The tank sequence was incredible top-notch action, and Michelle Rodriguez realizing she can't side with the evil version of The Furious because of their collateral damage is actually a good narrative development. Her being caught by Vin Diesel seemed ridiculous in the gif I'd seen prior to watching the movie, but in context is makes sense that Vin Diesel's love for Michelle Rodriguez is what made it possible. Airstrip sequence was god-like. Vin Diesel's superman headbutt. Gal Gadot's anime-style sacrifice. Ludacris' harpoon Checkov's guns. The mid-credits scene made the person who really liked Han and commented on his disappointing exit suddenly become really invested in the story
The seventh movie IS PERFECTION. JASON STATHAM'S INTRODUCTION PROVES THAT JAMES WAN KNOWS WHAT'S GOOD. THE ROCK PERFORMS HIS SIGNATURE MOVE FROM HIS WRESTLING DAYS—THAT ALONE ESTABLISHES WAN AS HAVING EXCELLENT DIRECTORIAL JUDGEMENT. MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ'S AND VIN DIESEL'S HOME BEING BLOWN UP MAKES IT EVEN MORE PERSONAL. THEY PARACHUTE OUT OF A PLANE IN THEIR UNIQUE VEHICLES. MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ CATCHES PAUL WALKER WITH HER CAR. THE DUBAI SEQUENCE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND COMICAL, AND VIN DIESEL LIFTED THAT CAR WITH HIS BARE HANDS. THEY TAKE IT BACK TO THE STREETS OF L.A. AND EVADE THE DJIMON HOUNSOU-CONTROLLED DRONE THROUGH STREET RACING. JASON STATHAM AND VIN DIESEL HAVE A CAR DUEL, A BRIEF GUN DUEL THROUGH THEIR CARS, AND THEN A KALI STICK-LIKE FIGHT ATOP A PARKING GARAGE, THE CAR EQUIVALENT OF A HOTEL. VIN DIESEL STOMPS THE CRACKED PARKING GARAGE FLOOR AFTER IT'S PARTIALLY BROKEN BY DJIMON HOUNSOU'S HELICOPTER'S MISSILE FIRE, SENDING JASON STATHAM TUMBLING BELOW, ALIVE YET DEFEATED. THE ROCK SAVES THE HACKER NATHALIE EMMANUEL AND MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ BY DRIVING AN AMBULANCE OFF AN OVERPASS INTO THE DRONE BEFORE RIPPING OFF ITS GATLING GUN AND COVERING VIN DIESEL BEFORE THE LATTER RAMPS HIS CAR OFF THE PARKING GARAGE INTO THE HELICOPTER, YET MISSES AS THE PILOT DODGES IN THE LAST MINUTE, YET THE ROCK'S ANIME-STYLE INNER-MONOLOGUE ABOUT HOW VIN DIESEL COULDN'T HAVE SIMPLY MISSED RAMMING THE HELICOPTER AND MUST HAVE HAD A GREATER PLAN IS PRACTICALLY AUDIBLE, AND HE SHOOTS THE BAG OF GRENADES VIN DIESEL TOSSED ONTO THE HELICOPTER. The final race between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker was genuinely touching
Justin Lin and James Wan are what Michael Bay wishes his trash self could be
Moments like Vin Diesel jumping from one rooftop to another in Rio while evading cartel members, then hearing and looking back at the Rock smashing through a window behind him seems very anime, at least a 7 out of 10.
Looking forward to catching up on the 8th movie and whatever comes next. The series has an excellent amount of diversity in setting and cast, and the themes of family and honor make for media that feels as if it's made with love.