A scene from Fast and Furious 6

Adding to Shanghai's crazy heat wave is Fast & Furious 6, the sixth installment of the frenetic franchise The Fast and The Furious. Two months after its worldwide release, the high-octane, action-packed flick has finally hit Shanghai's cinemas and attracted large crowds of hard-core fans of this global blockbuster series.

Written by Chris Morgan and directed by Taiwanese-American Justin Lin, the pair behind the franchise's previous three outings, Fast & Furious 6 brings badass international criminals Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) to London.

Vin Diesel stars again as Dom in Fast and Furious 6

 

The new installment picks up from where the last film left off. After Dom and Brian's Rio heist which toppled a crime boss' empire and left their crew with millions upon millions of dollars, the beloved outlaws have lived happy and peaceful lives in a safe haven in Spain.

However, Dom's carefree life is interrupted by the sturdy federal agent Hobbs (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who has been tracking a criminal organization of lethally skilled mercenaries led by the ruthless solider-turned-villain Shaw (Luke Evans). According to Hobbs' investigation, the gang's operation is aided by Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Dom's long-time lover who was presumed dead in their last Rio adventure.

To find out what happened to Letty and to stop Shaw's criminal outfit, Dom decides to reassemble his former elite team - an Ocean's Eleven-style ensemble which features some of the franchise's favorites including Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), Han (Sung Kang) and Gisele (Gal Gadot).

Building on the accumulated success of the franchise's previous installments, director Lin has managed to take Fast & Furious 6 to even greater heights. The film is loaded with non-stop, intense action sequences, eye-popping and jaw-dropping stunts, flawed but lovable characters, funny dialogue and a thumping soundtrack.

But the most engaging parts of the film are undoubtedly its frantic car chases and crash scenes on the backstreets of London, most of which are set against a backdrop of roaring crowds, sassy women in bikinis, posh cars, revving engines and groovy tunes.

A brilliant action set piece involves an electrifying car chase on a Spanish highway, which sees the good guys trying to prevent Shaw from stealing millions of dollars worth of military chips. Much to everyone's surprise, Shaw and his minions pull out a huge tank that smashes any vehicle it encounters and creates total havoc.

Vin Diesel stars again as Dom in Fast and Furious 6, investigating the presumed death of Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez Photos: CFP

 

The film's climatic sequence, in which Dom and his friends try to stop Shaw from taking off in a giant cargo plane by tethering their cars to it, is also a clever setup, albeit overlong.

Brawny stars Diesel and Johnson deliver earnest performances in playing two excessively testosterone-driven characters. Heartthrob Walker injects greater care and tenderness into Brian, who has married Dom's younger sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and become a father in this new installment. The versatile Gibson wins the most applause and laughs for his comic turn as Roman.

As cliché and preposterous as Fast & Furious 6 might be, this automobile extravaganza offers audiences sheer escapism for its two-hour running time. Adding to the excitement of fans is a coda before the closing credits that hints at what's to come in the seventh movie.

A poster for Fast & Furious 6

 

Everyone's a critic

Owen Ou

32, Shanghai native

"As a big fan of this long-running franchise, I enjoyed Fast & Furious 6 from beginning to end. The film offers almost everything you can expect from a major blockbuster - a thrilling story, adrenaline-driven action, dazzling special effects, attractive actors and actresses, and infectious music. Nice jobs done by both the director and the cast help turn part six into a satisfying ride which is definitely on par with the franchise's previous installments. Although Jason Statham makes a somewhat abrupt appearance in the coda, I just can't wait for the upcoming seventh film which will be shot by another Asian director, James Wan."

Emily Wu

27, Shanghai native

"Though Fast & Furious 6 is still an entertaining flick, I don't think the film managed to repeat the huge success of the last installment, which was a global smash hit. The story is largely illogical and the setup is a bit far-fetched in comparison with the previous films. It's also a pity that there are fewer punch lines throughout the film. So the only diversion the film provides is the high-energy action."

Adam Skuse

33, British

"Fast & Furious 6 is dumb action done as it should be. It has a self-awareness that sees it walk the fine line between self-parody and thrilling, well-blocked out action. It also keeps the audience on side during some rather ridiculous plot points and action sequences. It's a shame that director Justin Lin is leaving the series, but he has gone out on a bang. It's also great to see the bromance between Vin Diesel and The Rock reach new heights."