Burning Rubber
Fast cars (and bikes) are the subject of this weeks viewing journal.
Torque
A film so over the top that it feels more like a spoof than a genuine attempt to do for motorbikes what The Fast and the Furious did for cars. Problem is it’s silly but not funny and ends up just being tedious.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Am I alone in thinking Lucas Black is cool? Maybe I am but he’s definitely the best thing in this second sequel to the 2001 hit, although it’s a sequel in name only, having no ties to the other films in the series (save for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo right at the end from Vin Diesel). Aimed at a younger audience, with a cast of twentysomethings playing high school kids, it’s The O.C. on wheels on holiday in Japan. If you’re under twenty you might love it, for anyone older it has little to offer but it’s still far better than John Singleton’s deadly dull 2 Fast 2 Furious.
The Diver
This is a great thriller from Walter Hill. Yes it could have been better, the part of The Driver has Steve McQueen written all over it, but it’s got some cracking car chases and a gripping game of cat and mouse between The Driver and The Detective. Ryan O’Neal, while lacking the McQueen cool does a good job in a part that’s a world away from the romantic dramas and light comedies that made his name. Bruce Dern, for a change on the right side of the law, is great as the cop who’ll stop at nothing to get his man. It may not be big on character but this is one of the best car movies ever made.
