Blu-Ray Review: Great Release For Disappointing ‘Fast & Furious’

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CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of Universal’s “Fast & Furious,” also now available on DVD, is a tough one for a critic who hated the film when he had to review it in theaters. “Fast & Furious” is not a good movie, even when judged against the relatively low standards of this lackluster franchise. But the Blu-Ray? It’s pretty great.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

I have to give credit where credit is due and admit that there are a lot of fans of “Fast & Furious” out there. (Trust me. I heard from a lot of them after my theatrical review.) And it’s always great to see fans treated well by a studio and the Blu-Ray release of “Fast & Furious” really delivers for fans of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster.

We’ll get to the detailing on this tricked-out Blu-Ray, but the fact is that most people pick up DVDs or Blu-Rays for the movie itself. And there’s the conundrum of reviewing a title like this one - “Fast & Furious” is a disappointment, even if the Blu-Ray for it is phenomenal.

(L to R) Paul Walker and Vin Diesel reteam as agent Brian OConner and fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed.
Photo credit: Jaimie Trueblood and Universal

With dialogue that a ten-year-old would have edited out, dull performances from two leads who clearly just took the roles for the sizable paychecks that came with reuniting the original film’s cast, and only two real racing sequences, “Fast & Furious” should be a let-down for even the most hardcore fans of one of the most successful franchises of the ’00s.

The exceedingly goofy opening sequence (although you’ll soon realize that the boring film could have used more over-the-top moments like the opener) brings Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his girl Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) back to the forefront as they try to hijack a massive gas tanker train while it speeds down the hill.

Fast and Furious was released on Blu-Ray on July 28th, 2009. Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Dom’s gang splits up, but a tragedy brings Toretto back to the States and into the lives of his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), who has become a tough, on-the-edge FBI agent. Brian happens to be investigating a drug-trafficking ring led by a mysterious crime lord who has a personal connection to Dom. When they realize that they’re trying to bring down the same guy, Dom and Brian are forced to work together again.

“Fast & Furious” is neither. It’s “Slow & Drowsy,” not providing nearly enough actual racing, sexy girls, or witty banter - the things people rent a movie like this one looking for. No one wants to see Brian & Dom infiltrate a drug ring and TALK about driving. They want to see action.

To be fair, there are a couple of neat sequences, including a film highlight where Dom and Brian race to get into the gang. It’s the only time that director Justin Lin comes alive, bouncing cars off each other and sending them screaming around corners with frenetic glee. Sadly, the movie features much more talking about illegal driving than actual pedal to the metal.

When it does get loud, “Fast & Furious” sounds absolutely incredible with a perfectly-mixed English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that could be used to show off stereo systems. The video, in 1080p with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, matches it. Whatever problems you may have with “Fast & Furious,” it looks and sounds amazing, as a movie like this needs to do in order to work at all. Forget suspension of disbelief. Drown it out with DTS audio and HD picture.

And it’s not just the technical specs that make “Fast & Furious” an above-average Blu-Ray release. The two-disc set includes the great U-Control, this time with two features - “Take Control,” a standard-but-well-made look at the making of the film, and “Virtual Car Garage,” an up-close inspection of the cars in the film that also allows for you to create your own custom vehicle and share it with your friends. One of my favorite things about Blu-Ray is U-Control and this is yet another great use of the technology.

Through BD-Live, viewers can create their own “Fast & Furious” mash-up, using action and music from the film, and share it with friends, they can also use the BD-Live Center to chat with friends and even upload their own webcam commentary of the film.

The interactive, Blu-Ray exclusives would be enough but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. “Fast & Furious” features several behind-the-scenes featurettes and an entire short film called “Los Bandeleros”. The feature-quality, 20-minute short stars Diesel and other cast members and details the events leading up to the opening scene of the film. An extra 20-minute prequel? What fan is not going to love that? It’s hard to believe that anyone could walk away from the “Fast & Furious” Blu-Ray release and not be satisfied with the interactivity, short film, and wealth of behind-the-scenes information.

So, the film itself is still a 1 on a five point scale but the Blu-Ray presentation is close to a 5. We’ll split the difference. Before the “Fast & Furious” gang gets together for a fifth film, they should actually take a look at their own Blu-Ray. It delivers for their fans in a way that the film itself only pretends to do.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com