Fast & Furious - 2 1/2 smiles

This popcorn flick is full of high-octane chases, road races, fistfights and gunplay, which is probably a good thing because plot and character development are nonexistent. But what can you expect from the fourth installment of a street racing franchise that boasts ‘New model, original parts’? And as with the other three Fast & Furious movies, the cars and the stunts are the centerpiece. Vin Diesel reprises his role as ex-con fugitive Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker plays undercover FBI agent Brian O’Conner. An adrenalin-pumping opening sequence, the best in the film, involves a heist of a bunch of oil tankers in the Dominican Republic. Later, when Dom learns of the tragic death of someone he loves, he enters the US unnoticed by the authorities. After the funeral, he visits the crash site where he discovers clues to the possible murder. His need for revenge is tied to a drug kingpin who is looking for a new recruit to drive his heroin across the border from Mexico. Dom and Brian’s paths cross as they compete in a crazy race through the busy streets of LA’s Koreatown for a position that will give the winner access to the drug lord.

Diesel, looking fit and tough, plays a dangerous man with a moral code for living and seeking vengeance. The mutual respect between Diesel’s and Walker’s characters, established at the end of the first movie, creates an interesting dynamic on screen. Michelle Rodriquez and Jordana Brewster fill less important roles than they did originally until you realize that they’re there only to reprise their characters. And the primary villains (John Ortiz and Laz Alonso) are your typical bad guys. The true stars of the movie are the muscle cars and car aficionados should be satisfied. Directed by Justin Lin, the action sequences are well choreographed and the music is heavy with a Latin beat. However, after a while, everything seems redundant. If you saw “The Fast and the Furious,” you saw a better movie. 4/3/09