Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Review
By: MattInRC
Fast and Furious 6 is absolutely devilish entertainment on Blu-ray. And we're OK with that.
Before I get into this review, let's get one thing straight: The Fast and The Furious films are not exactly The Italian Job, nor do they try to be. When you pay the big bucks to sit in a film like this, you know what you're going to get - implausible car chases that defy the laws of physics, bro-mance humor, and badass chicks driving fast cars while extras in skimpy clothes and knee-high boots dance behind them. And while it's not the smart, highly-detailed action/drama of a Skyfall, the franchise has matured over the years, settling in on fun action with enough story to keep things moving. As Fast and Furious 6 arrives on Blu-ray, the boys (and girls) are back with enough stunts and twists to satiate anyone's appetite, while every aspect of the Bu-ray release is nothing short of spectacular.
The Movie - 4/5
Fresh off their mammoth heist in Rio, the team has scattered to either find a quiet patch of life or live high from their earnings. Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) are raising their first child, while Dom (Vin Deisel) is still haunted by the loss of Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Gisele (Gal Gadot) and Han (Sung Kang) are living in Tokyo, while Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) do what they do best: spend. That all changes when DSS Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) returns to enlist Dom and Brian to hunt down the international terrorist Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), who uses military tactics and armored vehicles to thwart the authorities. But this time, Shaw has upped the ante in hopes of stealing components for a Nightshade device. Assembled, Nighshade will render an entire country without power for 24 hours, and the terrorist wants to sell it to the highest bidder. Upon reassembling the team, Brian and Dom realize that Shaw and his team are no ordinary thugs who can be hunted down with fast cars, but are instead cold-blooded killers who will use any and all means to achieve their goals. As one team chases the other around Europe, Dom learns that an important character from his past (no spoilers here) is in fact alive and has teamed up with Shaw. With lives hanging in the balance, Dom's team must take out Shaw and his men before the device is assembled and carted away on a cargo plane.
There's so much going on in Fast Six that the trailers (luckily) don't tell the whole story. It represents the a true summer flick, complete with plenty of explosions, gunfire, incomprehensible action sequences, and funny comebacks, all surrounded by a competent story and cast. Walker and Deisel represent the sum parts of the whole, while Evans makes a terrific bad guy who should have been penned through a couple of films. He's the kind of dashing but deadly villain that can match up with Dom in every way, which makes his one-trick appearance all the more disappointing. In the middle of this, you have NOS-flavored racing, large American engines rumbling their way through London, and the requisite scantily-clad female dancers at races. This is not a film for the logical mind, but with the title Fast and Furious, you weren't paying to see high-brow entertainment. FF franchise Director Justin Lin once again delivers an impressive and fast-paced film, nimbly merging new and impressive stunts with long-time collaborator and Writer Chris Morgan's funny and well-polished script. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of 'benefit of the doubt' scenes here, but they work so well that we can't be too critical. And with a end-credits scene that still has people talking, it's clear that the series might be ready to movie into a new chapter. That is, if the studio can figure out how to deal with the tragic death of Walker. With opinion so divided as how to proceed, let's hope new director James Wan and team can keep the series from racing into the sunset any time soon.
The Video - 5/5
Fast & Furious 6 comes complete with an impressive MPEG-4/AVC transfer that would make any papa proud. Color is natural and abounds in every scene, rich and inviting in daytime shots and menacing in the many night scenes, with skintones looking lifelike. Blacks are inky but precise, although there is a slight issue with crush, but I believe that's a result of Lin's camera work and not Universal's transfer, as I remember seeing those issues in the theater. Shadows in day and indoor shots present several layers before fading into black, while night scenes provide sufficient background detail. Clarity in general is outstanding, from freckles and beard stubble on faces to individual strands of hair on our female leads. Dents and paint on cars look amazing while paint chips and sweat stand out. All in all, Universal does the sixth movie in this series to perfection.
The Audio - 5/5
Never willing to let their audio take a backseat, Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is as immersive as it is thunderous. To say this thing growls with a precision seen only in a few discs is understating how good it is. Starting with the front speakers, we get a clear mix of dialogue, sound effects, and music from Composer Lucas Vidal. The center channel boasts clear dialogue and nothing else, which keeps the listener from having to play The Remote Game to hear it, then suddenly dial it down for the action scenes. The real joy here lies in the surrounds, which boosts the music but also introduces a nice mix of crowd chatter, water effects, and other atmospherics. The surrounds also work closely with the fronts, moving sounds from each set with perfect precision, Usually, this would only be present in the fronts, as the best tracks would move the sound from left to right; here, the fronts are wedded to the rears in a way we don't hear too often. But when it's time to dial up the action, the LFE kicks in to close the deal by rumbling, exploding, and mauling its way into the scene. When Shaw's Flip Car is started, you can feel its unbridled power. Universal has commanded this aspect of home video since The Bourne Trilogy, and the FF franchise has certainly benefited from it throughout the years. In short, it's a reference-quality transfer.
The Supplements - 5/5
Featuring some of the deepest supplements in recent memory, Fast and Furious 6 arrives with the following, all offered in HD:
Unrated Extended Cut: Two versions are presented - a 131-minute extended cut and a 130-minute theatrical cut. The only difference is minor and doesn't significantly alter the film.
Deleted Scenes (1:40): Three very short scenes are offered - Intro to CCTV, Han & Gisele Talk, and Prison Guard.
Audio Commentary: Director Justin Lin sits down for an excellent breakdown, which includes a shot by shot, scene by scene dissection of the film. He touches on every aspect, from development, casting, shooting, and visual effects. It's one of the best commentaries of the year.
Take Control (19:18): A series of short interviews from Deisel, Walker, Lin and others, we learn a little of the franchise's background and several aspects of making the film, including Lin's desire to shoot the film 'in camera' as much as possible.
The Making of Fast & Furious 6 (26:43): Viewers are treated to a four-part documentary that breaks down the action and story. Segments include The Fastest of Them All (10:06), Reuniting the Team (7:34), Letty's Return (4:42), and The Mastermind and the Mole (4:21).
Planes, Tanks and Automobiles (23:37): Another four-parter that details the various action sequences, including The London Chase (7:56), The Convoy Attack (6:28), The Antonov Takedown (6:18) and Dom and Letty Race Again (3:35).
It's All About the Cars (15 minutes): Boys and their toys, right? The actors and the crew step behind the wheel to take you inside the cars made for the film. Segments include: On the Set with Vin (3:16), Gearhead's Delight (6:27), and The Flip Car (5:23).
Hand to Hand Fury (9:44): In an effort to improve themselves from the epic fighting sequences in Fast Five, the cast and crew practice and shoot several hard-hitting scenes.
Fast & Furious 7 First Look (2 minutes): A very powerful scene as the team attend a funeral for a fallen comrade. Given the death of Paul Walker, this might be the only footage we'll ever see from the original. Or maybe not...
Our evaluation copy arrived as a Blu-ray Combo Pack, complete with a single Blu-ray and DVD set, along with a Digital Copy of the extended cut of the film. Luckily, American audiences were also treated to two steelbook editions, which several retailers sweetened with a soundtrack (Target) and 30 minutes of online featurettes (Walmart). Best Buy offered a completely different yellow steel with no interior artwork. The embossed slipcase is attractive, and our vanilla version contained no interior artwork.
The Bottom Line - 4.5/5
In what might stand as the last true action franchise around, Fast and Furious 6 offers something for everyone. If the words 'plausibility' and 'realism' enter your vocabulary when it comes to Summer films, look elsewhere. If you're able to check them comfortably at the door, with the words 'jocularity' and 'edge-of-your-seat action' taking over, then you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself with this one. The home release is one of the best of the year, with an amazing package from the stellar audio and video to the amazing set of supplements. Given the tragedy that's befallen the FF team and Walker's family, another film at this point is not a given, so we'll just have to enjoy this amazing release and hope for brighter days. Fast and Furious 6 s rated R for action and violence, has a runtime of 130 minutes, and is highly recommended.
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