As yet a fourth rendition of the Fast and Furious movie series – this one, simply titled:

Fast and Furious – inches into post-production, it seems that the official trailer has been released online.  Fasten your seatbelts, and click here:

Production and editing? Good.  Cinematography? Good.  Stunts?  Good.  The return of the original cast? Even though it will probably turn out to be somewhat cheesy… good, overall (meaning: no Tyrese Gibson). 

Regurgitating the plot of the first movie, albeit with a modern-day, carbon-conscious twist?  Bad. U-turn-spinning, NOS-powered Mad Max-style pick-ups that hijack tanker trucks by driving backwards at freeway speed? Bad. The fact that 7/8ths of the official trailer plays before even the slightest hint of import involvement is given?  Bad, but... 

That most or all of said imports were apparently picked based solely on head-turning flash?  In case you can’t already predict my answer to that one... even worse.

Since the release of the mildly tolerable Tokyo Drift, I had been holding my breath that the FnF creators were finally on a solid path toward depicting the import scene in a more accurate – albeit melodramatic – way.  Until I saw this.  It seems like the previous import-heavy cast of cars is being traded for a broader mix, to make #4 more "action flick", than "import flick", so its understandable that portraying the import community accurately isn't job #1 for these guys, but still... if they can get the domestics right, why not us?   

After having produced three movies spanning nearly eight years, one would think that Justin Lin, Gary Scott Thompson and the boys would take it upon themselves to at least pick up some copies of Import Tuner, or attend a few legitimate industry events in the name of market research – anything to help themselves get an idea of what’s been really going on out here, because judging by some recent outtake photos, they clearly don't have one.  Just a hint, guys: combat kits, flashy vinyl graphics, Lambo doors, and the like no longer gain respect in mainstream import race or show circles, not to mention in the streets.  And they never really did; we just let you slide with it in the first film because you were trying to show some love.  Using cues like that to represent the import scene today is really, really making you look foolish -- to everyone.

Is it too much to ask for some modern representation of the import scene, that enthusiasts and the general public, both, will appreciate?  When will Hollywood’s depictions of imports with fluorescent paint give way to those with OEM-spec color changes, for example; dyed interiors to race-prepped ones; or colored wire loom to a good wire tuck?   Will the Silver Screen ever trade Imola Orange for Championship White, 20-inch chrome for forged aluminum monoblock, or combat kit for OE-spec JDM conversion?  I promise, the effects of such action would be positive on all fronts – for us and our industry, for the general audience, and consequently, for the film’s creators.       

All my whining aside, there does appear to be a slight “rally inspired” bright light for us, though. And rumors of Paul Walker piloting an R35 GT-R and cleanly modded NSX in this latest offering are, in fact, holding water -- definitely a plus.  June ’09 is long away, and while we’ll probably all drive out to the FnF premier for old time's sake, I know I'll be crossing my fingers that this trailer isn't a complete indication of what’s to come.  It’s bad enough these guys were behind the times in ’01; let’s hope they don’t prove to be stuck there for ’09.

--Luke
myspace.com/munnellphotography