Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso
Directed by: Justin Lin
Written by: Chris Morgan
As I walk out of the cinema, I heard a statement: “Male viewer should be impressed by this movie”. Last time I check, I'm still a guy yet I find this new installment didn't do any justice to one of the most beloved and profitable franchises. TV3 screened the first two movies and when I watch it again, it's still look good and entertaining after all this years but my perception changed after watching the fourth installment.
In the new 'Fast And Furious', it’s been eight years since ex-con Dominic Toretto (Diesel) drove across the Mexican border, committing himself to a fugitive existence. Now, holed up in a beach shack in the Dominican Republic, and living on the run with the sole remnant of his past, Letty (Rodriguez), he tries to piece together a new life. When a tragic death of someone he loves brings him back to L.A., Dom reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Walker). As they are forced to confront a shared enemy, a drug kingpin who is flooding the U.S. with lethal product, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him and avenge the tragedy that he caused their small racing family to endure.
Fans of 2001's 'The Fast and the Furious' who grew up and hoping a better storyline but there's only little improvement to surprise them while younger viewer of '2 Fast 2 Furious' and 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' have seen better effects and surprises in other racing themed movie. Character wise: moviegoers want more of the anti hero Dom, the renegade ex-cop Brian, the tough ladies comprising Letty and Mia. Romantic wise: moviegoers won't get enough of Dom/Letty and Brian/Mia relationship. Most of us left disappointed because both of characterization and romance wasn't construct properly to the fullest. Diesel and Rodriguez still have their original edge but Paul Walker lost it: he looked fresh, innocent, confused but lovable in 'The Fast and the Furious', matured & confident in '2 Fast 2 Furious' but turn out to be a little awkward in this one. John Ortiz and Laz Alonso who played the bad guys also don't have enough charisma.
I'm not against director Justin Lin but actually I forgive him during 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' because it's in a totally different environment (Japan) and cast, so it's okay to try new stuff & make small mistakes. Lin actually impresses me in one scene of 'Tokyo Drift' where he put real drifting legend fishing as the two main actor training drift in the background. This is the little details that make the story special but no special details can be seen in 'Fast And Furious'. Writer Chris Morgan should handle this movie better while uphold the legacy that Gary Scott Thompson created.
I know it's hard to do a race movie (there is two malay race movie which try hard but went nowhere), and forgive my comparison to Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman's 'Days of Thunder' but in that movie, the race scene keep you at edge of your seat, the drama scene really touch your emotion and the romance make you fell in love with both of the character. Even Asian has done good racing movie, I watched 'Initial D' three times in the cinema and love every part of it! Kudos to director of photography, Amir Mokri did a good job capturing the mountainous countryside of the Dominican Republic and the tight scene of precision racing in the tunnel crawls across the floor of the Mexican desert. No worry, I guaranty it will be a box-office hit especially for teenager. I myself drove my car like crazy going back to office after the screening, as if an auto Proton car can race! Hahaha... 
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