Paul Walker Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Pitch of the Day: 'Fast and the Furious' in Space
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », George Lucas », Steven Spielberg », James Bond », Remakes and Sequels »
It's day-old if not month-old news that there's another Fast and the Furious sequel on the way. It's called Fast Five, which cuts out the "furious" this time so as not to get sued by Grandmaster Flash or Kung Fu Panda. But I'd like for Friday installments of the Pitch of the Day to be unofficially "Franchise Fridays." This means that all pitches on Fridays will be suggestions on what to do with a franchise. This is different from "Part Two Tuesdays," which will only be pitches for a first sequel -- a part two -- of a film. So with that clarified, let me present my preference for the next F2F film to be...Fast and Furious in Space
Guess what it's about. I'll give you one hint: there are no cars this time. Give up? Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are racing space ships! How'd their characters get into outer space and the future? Maybe they're cryogenically frozen? Maybe Paul Walker is really an immortal android? It doesn't really matter. It's science fiction, after all. And whatever method of explanation used won't be any more ridiculous than the rest of the series anyway. And the audience won't care as long as they get to watch some awesome space ship-racing action.
Diesel, Walker, Lin Reteam for 'Fast Five'
Filed under: Action », Casting », Deals », Newsstand »
It's gotten to the point where I look forward to the next Fast/Furious movie -- or at least the announcement -- just to see what they'll call it. Every title since the first one has had something to offer: nonsensical wordplay (2 Fast 2 Furious), a wonderfully goofy subtitle (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), bizarre and confusing minimalism (Fast & Furious). The current title of the fifth entry (which we speculated about last month, and is now official) into the now-venerable franchise combines at least the first and the third of those: the movie is currently known as Fast Five, which I guess means we have to start referring to this series as Fast and/or Furious.The three series mainstays -- Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, and director Justin Lin -- have all signed on for the fourth sequel. It's an admirably shrewd move, since none of them have a lot else going on: Walker hasn't had a non-Furious hit in at least four years, and Diesel in five, while Lin's only attempts to branch out since Better Luck Tomorrow have both flopped (though Finishing the Game is a sorely underrated little comedy). For his part, Lin seems to have used his experience on the franchise to hone his big-budget Hollywood filmmaking chops: while still not a particularly good movie, Fast & Furious was easily Lin's best directorial turn. That opening truck chase set piece was downright impressive, before things went south.
Fast & Furious, the most recent installment, was the highest-grossing of the four ($155 million domestically, nearly $350 million overseas), though also the most expensive. Fast Five will be in theaters next year to attempt to build on that momentum.
Clive Owen Seeks 'Protection'
Filed under: Action », Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Scripts »
Last spring, there was word from Cannes that Paul Walker was going to star in a new action thriller written by Brandon Noonan called Protection. Simon West was slated to direct, and the film was scheduled to begin production last August. Obviously, that never happened, and both men are no longer with the project. Who could replace the man who directed Con Air and the star of The Fast in the Furious? The answer might surprise you.According to Production Weekly's Twitter feed, Clive Owen will replace Walker in the feature, and Patrick Alessandrin will direct. That certainly makes for a different movie. You all know Owen, of course, and Alessandrin is the man who just helmed the parkour follow-up Banlieue 13: Ultimatum. Unless things have changed over the last year of development, the film follows a former Special Forces soldier who faces off against Mexican gangs in order to rescue a judge's daughter -- your usual good guy v. a horde of baddies scenario.
What's much more interesting than the plot is the switch of leads. Owen's International and Duplicity might not have done so well at the box office, but he's an entirely different sort of action star than Walker. I wonder if he was cast in an attempt to bring more cred to the project, or if this is his next Shoot 'Em Up pulp movie for fun. Either way, those gangs don't stand a chance!
Why Did YOU Go See 'Fast & Furious'?
Filed under: Action », New Releases », Box Office »
I'd like to hear from a few of the people who contributed to Fast & Furious's staggering $71 million gross over the weekend. Why did you go? What were you expecting, and did you get it?
See, I'm not in the camp of critics who detest this film and this franchise. But I also think that it cannot possibly be taken at face value. Fast & Furious, with its story of a daredevil FBI agent/street racer who has to go undercover to bust up a drug smuggler who regularly holds elaborate street races on the streets of Los Angeles, complete with hordes of women who are gyrating constantly, doesn't just strain credulity, it rips credulity apart with its teeth. It exists to be laughed at. And as such, it sort of works -- I spent most of the movie chuckling merrily under my breath. Fast & Furious is a constant parody of itself, and I am sure that Justin Lin -- an intelligent, skilled filmmaker -- knows that.
But that alone won't get you to $71 million. The most obvious possibility is that people went for the cars and scantily-clad females, in which case I wonder what they made of the film's sagging midsection, which contains more absurd macho brooding than anything else. (I also wonder where they were for the underperforming Tokyo Drift, which I'd suggest was more entertaining in this respect.) The fact that the franchise's box-office resurgence coincides with the return of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker also suggests, disturbingly, that some folks actually see this as the compelling saga of Dom Torreto and Brian O'Conner, as if those were actual characters. "Nothing matters unless you have a code," etc. Will anyone fess up to that? (Not that I am judging you. Well, maybe a little.)
Review: Fast & Furious
Filed under: Action », New Releases », Universal », Theatrical Reviews »
The films in the Fast and the Furious series have gotten progressively dumber since the harmlessly energetic 2001 original, and the latest, reductively called Fast & Furious, takes it a step lower. Not only is the story silly, but there's not even much car-racing in it -- and why would anyone want to watch this movie if it doesn't have a lot of car-racing in it?
Like the rest of us, Fast & Furious has nothing to say about the last film, Tokyo Drift. instead, it picks up a few years after 2 Fast 2 Furious left off. Thick-necked carjacker Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and surfer-voiced FBI agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) are reunited when both have cause to infiltrate a Mexico-based drug cartel operating in Los Angeles. Dominic's reasons are personal and revenge-based, while Brian has the law on his side.
As luck would have it, the mysterious drug kingpin Arturo Braga is looking for expert drivers, which Dom and Brian both happen to be. If they can prove themselves worthy in a street race (who would have guessed?) they're hired, giving them access to the inner workings of the cartel. I guess this is more effective for Braga than conducting traditional job interviews.
It all amounts to far more espionage and intrigue than a movie that's ostensibly about fast cars ought to have. I would like to have witnessed the pitch meeting where the screenwriter, Chris Morgan (Tokyo Drift), convinced the producers that an emphasis on Dom and Brian's personal lives would be of much greater interest than car racing. They must be kicking themselves now for believing him, because here's the finished product -- with lots of dumb storytelling and only a couple auto-racing sequences -- and it's worse. It turns out minimizing the one entertaining element of a franchise was a BAD idea!
New Theatrical Trailer for 'Fast & Furious'
Filed under: Action », Universal », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
Say what you will, but The Fast and Furious franchise has always been a guilty pleasure for gear-heads and novices alike -- just don't look too close for things like character development, or, say, a plot...because by now we all know these movies are about watching shiny things motor at the speed of light. If you don't believe me, go take a look at the new theatrical trailer for the latest installment over at Yahoo! Movies, because it's chock full of all the engine revving and glowering from the driver side window you have come to expect from any film starring Vin Diesel behind the wheel of a 68 Dodge Charger.The whole cast from the original flick is back this time around, as Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) reunite to take on a common enemy with the oh-so-delightfully tacky name of Rico (Don Omar). Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster return to play the two women in Toretto's life (his girlfriend and little sister respectively), but let's be honest, these gals are just window dressing to the action at hand.
The latest installment was directed by Justin Lin, who is usually credited with making the better sequel (Tokyo Drift) in the franchise, so it's probably for the best that he took the driver's seat this time around. Furious will be premiering a new trailer during the Superbowl (a coveted time slot to say the least), so it looks like Universal has pretty big expectations for the action flick. One thing is for sure, these movies might not be winning Oscars any time soon, but as long as they give me a few more tricks like this; you can count me in.
Fast & Furious will arrive in theaters on April 3rd.
Universal Release Date Shuffle: 'Wolfman' Back, 'Furious' Up
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Horror », Romance », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Universal », RumorMonger », Distribution », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels »
I was originally going to start out this post by going off on those studios that habitually change dates on their releases and wait until the last minute to do so. Instead, I'll try to remain positive and emphasize one particular studio that has given us a head's up on the shuffling of their 2009 slate: Universal.Of utmost priority is director Joe Johnston and star Benicio del Toro's take on The Wolfman, which has been bumped back from this spring to next November (not unlike The Box). Usually, such shuffling might seem like a bad thing, but about six more months to polish what I'm guessing are so very many special effects sounds like a fair enough compromise (which isn't to suggest that Oscar-winning make-up wizard Rick Baker didn't do a fine job the first time around). Also moving back is Ridley Scott's Nottingham, now pushed to a TBD date in 2010.
Discuss: With Phoenix Gone, Who Else Should Retire from Acting?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand »
It's official -- Joaquin Phoenix will grace us no more with his onscreen presence. Judging from the Cinematical poll results, you guys are just as shocked and disappointed by his decision as we are. Considering we lost the talents of Heath Ledger earlier this year, may I beg the movie gods to cut us a break here?
But to make (somewhat) light of an awkward situation, we here at Cinematical thought we'd put this question to you -- who you like to see retire from acting altogether? This summer, I hinted I was rather disappointed in Brendan Fraser, who's semi-retired a few times now. A glance at his IMDB page shows it to be scarce. Maybe he should follow Phoenix's example before there's a Mummy 4 or 5, thereby ruining all my fond memories of his performance in Gods and Monsters.
What about Nicolas Cage? Would you rather he go before he makes Bangkok Dangerous 2? Spends the last bit of his Coen Bros cred in endless National Treasure sequels? What about popular whipping boy, Tom Cruise, who's couch-jumping antics have caused him some box-office pain and negative publicity? Maybe golden boy Shia LeBeouf, who was landing so many roles a t-shirt protest began. Maybe you just can't take another magazine cover with Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
Then again, everyone on this list has some incredibly solid roles under their belt -- it's easy to pick on a guy like Cage for some of his choices, until you remember Adaptation. Perhaps you just wish the C-List would go away ... no more movies from Vin Diesel or Paul Walker, not another role from Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. Take it away, Cinematical readers. And remember, this is in good fun, and we mean no disrespect to any of the names above.
But to make (somewhat) light of an awkward situation, we here at Cinematical thought we'd put this question to you -- who you like to see retire from acting altogether? This summer, I hinted I was rather disappointed in Brendan Fraser, who's semi-retired a few times now. A glance at his IMDB page shows it to be scarce. Maybe he should follow Phoenix's example before there's a Mummy 4 or 5, thereby ruining all my fond memories of his performance in Gods and Monsters.
What about Nicolas Cage? Would you rather he go before he makes Bangkok Dangerous 2? Spends the last bit of his Coen Bros cred in endless National Treasure sequels? What about popular whipping boy, Tom Cruise, who's couch-jumping antics have caused him some box-office pain and negative publicity? Maybe golden boy Shia LeBeouf, who was landing so many roles a t-shirt protest began. Maybe you just can't take another magazine cover with Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
Then again, everyone on this list has some incredibly solid roles under their belt -- it's easy to pick on a guy like Cage for some of his choices, until you remember Adaptation. Perhaps you just wish the C-List would go away ... no more movies from Vin Diesel or Paul Walker, not another role from Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. Take it away, Cinematical readers. And remember, this is in good fun, and we mean no disrespect to any of the names above.
The Whole Pit Crew is Back in the 'Fast and Furious' Trailer
Filed under: Action », Universal », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
I suspect that this trailer for Fast and Furious -- that's The Fast and the Furious, Part IV: Articles Result in Wind Resistance, or 2 Fast 2 Furious x 2 -- just made a wide number of gearheads moist over the triumphant return of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as they drive fast and glare hard in a combined effort to save their careers.
Diesel and Walker find themselves reunited with Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster of the hollow but entertaining original, and the whole photogenic ensemble find themselves directed by Justin Lin, a.k.a. the guy they brought in to direct the hollow but tiresome three-quel that none of these actors were themselves a part of (okay, so Diesel made the briefest cameo, yippee for that). The stunts, though, appear to be more along the practical lines of the first two films, so perhaps a happy medium can be struck between their relative entertainment value and the numbing antics of Tokyo Drift.
Fast and Furious leaves skid marks in theaters next June.
Vin Diesel Directing 'Fast and Furious' Prequel
Filed under: Action », Universal », Movie Marketing », Remakes and Sequels »
Were you out there feeling like there were still just too many unanswered questions in The Fast and the Furious franchise? Okay, probably not, because that's like asking for CliffsNotes for an episode of The Hills. But, I guess somebody out there felt there was some explaining to do, because Coming Soon reports that Vin Diesel (who plays muscle car driver extraordinaire, Dominic Torretto) will be directing a 20-minute prequel to the upcoming Fast and Furious.There aren't many details on the short, but starring alongside Diesel will be Michelle Rodriguez, who will reprise her role as Letty, and Sung Kang will also be returning as Han. Diesel did not provide any details about the story for the short, but for those of you who are well versed in the world of Fast and Furious, you can probably guess that it will act as a tie-in to bring together the events of the second and third films.
I'll admit I was surprised to discover that Diesel has already directed before. Mainly they were other short films, but back in 1997, he wrote, directed, and starred in Strays, a drama about hustlers, and of course, there are still those long-standing rumors about Diesel directing his own Hannibal (not the cannibal) feature. Nobody knows for sure where the Fast and Furious prequel will appear first, but the obvious choice would be online. There is also a chance that to drum up a little business Universal will premiere it on TV, or as an extra on the DVD. One thing is for sure, unless Justin Lin has the running time of Fast and Furious down to 70 minutes, I doubt we'll be seeing it in theaters.
Fast and Furious is scheduled to open on June 5th, 2009.
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams Reunite for 'Mission Impossible 4'
'Big Top Pee-Wee': The Original Benicio Del Toro Wolfman
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 2/9
Watch This: Brilliant Oscar-Nominated Short 'Logorama'
Chris Nolan to Lead 'Superman' Reboot!?
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