Movie Review: Into The Blue (2005)

Genre: Adventure Thriller  

Director: John Stockwell  

Starring: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan, Josh Brolin  

Running Time: 110 minutes  

Synopsis: In the Bahamas, Jared (Paul Walker) is a penniless treasure hunter living with his girlfriend Sam (Jessica Alba). Jared's childhood friend Bryce (Scott Caan), now a wealthy New York lawyer, comes to visit with his latest trophy girlfriend Amanda (Ashley Scott). During the same dive Jared stumbles upon two adjacent undersea wrecks: a legendary French pirate ship carrying treasure, and a much more recent small plane packed with illegal drugs. With unbelievable riches now within reach, Jared and Sam have to guard against greed, ruthless gangsters, deadly sharks, and rival treasure hunter Bates (Josh Brolin).

What Works Well: The underwater photography is spectacularly crisp, and both Paul Walker and Jessica Alba show off attractive physiques. 

What Does Not Work As Well: The long and silent diving sequences are always captivating, but also the only points of interest. Outside the water, the action is all wet, the dialogue stiff, and the mostly ridiculous plot points seemingly made up on the fly. The sharks switch sides from harmless to lethal at the whims of the script.

Key Quote:

Sam (to Jared): I believe in you more than the prospect of any treasure.

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Movie Review: Joy Ride (2001)

Genre: Thriller

Director: John Dahl

Starring: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski

Running Time: 97 minutes

Synopsis: California-based college student Lewis (Paul Walker) embarks on a drive to Denver to reconnect with his childhood crush and maybe girlfriend Venna (Leelee Sobieski). He detours to Salt Lake City and bails out his always-in-trouble older brother Fuller (Steve Zahn). The brothers then use a CB radio to pull a cruel prank on truck driver "Rusty Nail", which ends with one man in hospital. Lewis and Fuller admit their role in the debacle and continue their journey, but Rusty Nail has revenge on his mind, and Venna becomes a target.

What Works Well: Co-written by J.J. Abrams, this variation on Duel offers a few touches of humour, some effective shocks, a polished visual style making best use of a monstrous evil truck, and a willing cast. The contrast between brothers - Lewis serious, Fuller a restless man-child - generates engaging interplay, and the endless open road at night paves the way for a few effective moments of peril.

What Does Not Work As Well: The antagonist (voiced by Ted Levine) remains an undefined across-the-radio presence, and most of the plot details fail the basic scrutiny test. 

Conclusion: Despite a clunky load, roars down the highway with some style.



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Movie Review: The Fast And The Furious (2001)

In a demonstration of the potential for style to triumph over substance, The Fast And The Furious is a sleek, shiny film that entertains thanks to its vibe and cool factor. Not much else about this movie actually matters.

Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) is an undercover cop, infiltrating the Los Angeles illegal street racing community to crack an audacious theft ring that hijacks container trucks at formidable speeds. Brian befriends Dominic (Dom) Toretto (Vin Diesel), the fulcrum around whom the street racing scene rotates; Brian also falls for Dom's sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). Dom has shady friends and dangerous enemies; Brian is soon under pressure and has to risk his relationships to sort out the bad guys from the ugly guys before the truck drivers start resolving matters with shotguns.

The Fast And The Furious derives its pleasure and appeal from the glimmering overpowered machines that fuel the street racing scene, and the film matches the insane kinetic energy of the cars that are as important to the movie as the actors. Credit to director Rob Cohen for avoiding the temptation of moving mindlessly from one stunt race scene to the next; there is actually surprisingly little racing action in the movie, more a glorification of the cars, the people, and the culture, as time is spent colouring, with vivid intensity, the details of the characters who inhabit this underground world.

As a result, when the racing and stunt set-pieces do kick-in, they are treats to be enjoyed, helped by exceptional execution, editing and directing.

Vin Diesel cruises through the movie oozing coolness that is appropriately unreal. Paul Walker is almost equally impossibly on top of the out of control action, but as the force of good in the movie he manages to be less outrightly dismissive. The grease-stained group surrounding Dom Toretto's character appear to be drawn from the guys that always seem to be hanging around the local car repair shops, doing nothing much that appears to be legal.

The rap music score thumps along adding to the high and edgy level of energy that throbs through the movie.

The Fast And The Furious is like speeding on an empty freeway. Absolutely nothing good will come of it, but it could be ever so enjoyable.

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