Fast and the Furious 4

Rating: * * *

Verdict:

Boy racer series gets a cylinder rebore. Still runs a little rough.

This is the fourth instalment in the

The Fast and the Furious

franchise

,

one which reunites the original four cast members from the hit 2001 original. While its tagline pronounces it "new model, original parts", it's not so much new as finely tuned.

The money has been spent on the stunts and the studs, and it shows. The action, especially the opening oil truck hijacking scene is tense, and impressive and the boys are ripped and ready to let their looks do the work. It would have been nice, however, if someone had paid just a little attention to the limp story.

Vin Diesel is back for the first time since the original film (did someone say "career slump"?) as bad boy Dominic Toretto, still on the run from the Feds and now residing in the Dominican Republic. When one of his old crew is murdered, he heads back to LA, seeking revenge and comes up against his old nemesis, FBI agent Brian O'Conner (Walker). Illegal street races, dangerous car chases, drug running, and a lot of bonding is predictably what follows, all accessorised with sexy music, fast-paced editing and enough booty hanging out of shorts to fill a year of hip-hop videos.

There are the mandatory love interests, with the spunky Michelle Rodriguez returning as Toretto's girlfriend, and Jordana Brewster puts in an awful one-dimensional performance as Mia, Toretto's sister and O'Conner's love interest.

Parts of this film are seriously broken, but it has enough excitement and speed to tempt even the most sedate suburban station wagon driver into a little revving at the lights on the way home.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Paul Walker, Vin Diesel

Director:

Justin Lin

Running Time:

107 mins

Rating:

M (violence, offensive language & sexual references)