Woo—woo—woo—
As soon as the Disney castle logo faded away, the screen remained dark, but the roaring sound of a car engine echoed through the theater, like an otherworldly noise piercing through everyone's minds.
This sound easily heightened the audience's emotions, quickly pulling them into the film.
Then the scene lit up: a Mercedes sports coupe sped down a winding mountain road. The camera zoomed in, and it was clear that the driver was Matthew Horner.
He skillfully handled the sports car, accelerating rapidly, soon catching up to a heavy truck ahead.
"Keep up!" Matthew Horner commanded, and several other cars followed behind him.
One of the cars had Daniel Wu inside.
The Mercedes moved like lightning, swiftly closing in on the heavy truck. This custom-designed Mercedes E63 AMG boasted a massive V8 engine, unleashing an incredible 1020 horsepower. The modified front end gave the car an aggressive, battle-ready look.
Its appearance alone amazed many in the audience.
The marketing director for Mercedes-Benz, attending the premiere, smiled widely as he watched the sleek sports car on the big screen. The advertising effect was phenomenal.
"Matthew Horner is truly our best partner," the head of Greater China remarked beside him.
The marketing director nodded slightly. If the film did well at the box office, the exposure for Mercedes-Benz would be beyond measure.
"Marco..." he whispered, "Increase our marketing efforts with this film. Make sure every Mercedes showcased in the Greater China region carries ads for Fast & Furious."
The Greater China head took note. It was a win-win situation.
On the screen, an intense car chase sequence unfolded. Matthew's character, Sean, and Daniel Wu's character were hired to intercept some goods. Daniel Wu jumped onto the truck while Matthew skillfully coordinated the getaway, saving Daniel just as the truck was about to overturn, showcasing remarkable driving skills.
Amid explosions, Matthew's Mercedes E63 AMG burst through the flames, carrying Daniel Wu in a moment of pure, breathtaking heroism.
In just a few minutes, Matthew's character was solidly etched into the audience's minds.
"So intense!" Snow White exclaimed, lightly clutching her chest as she whispered to Nini, "It's suffocating from the start."
Nini bit her lip, not responding, but instead imagining herself in Daniel Wu's place. Wouldn't the scene have been even better if she were the one Matthew Horner had just saved? A movie and real-life hero like him should rescue someone like her, right?
The opening action sequence was simple, brutal, and direct. No words, just straight to the action, using stunts and car chases to establish Matthew's lead role and Daniel Wu's supporting one.
This might not have been the best way to develop characters, but it was certainly the most effective in grabbing the audience's attention.
After the opening, the theater fell silent. Almost all eyes were glued to the screen, with little room for distractions, as the film delivered one thrilling scene after another, leaving the audience breathless.
With Matthew's character introduced, it was soon time for Paul Walker's character to take the stage.
If Matthew's Sean was there to draw in new fans, Paul Walker's character was there for the die-hard Fast & Furious audience.
Much like the opening scene, Brian (Paul Walker) also entered with an action sequence, involving a chase with some parkour elements, which captivated the audience.
This movie wasn't just about fast cars—it also incorporated many other action elements. Though none of them were groundbreaking, like parkour, they were used sparingly, adding just enough variety without overshadowing the core theme.
Justin Lin took ten minutes to introduce the two protagonists. It was a classic Hollywood three-act structure, the kind that perfectly suited mainstream tastes.
After the ten-minute introduction, the main characters were given clear objectives to drive the plot forward.
In a farewell race where Daniel Wu's character planned to return to his home country, Matthew's Sean overheard that Dominic Toretto had died. As a close friend, Sean immediately rushed to the scene of the crash to confirm the cause of death.
With his experience, Sean quickly sensed something suspicious about Toretto's death and soon encountered Brian at the scene, who had also heard the news.
The two didn't know each other and missed each other while driving.
The plot then followed Sean and Brian as they each investigated the circumstances of Dominic Toretto's death, tracing the last people he was connected to.
The storyline was simple, even a middle schooler could easily follow it.
In essence, the mystery behind Toretto's death and its investigation wasn't the core focus or selling point of the film.
Fast & Furious 4 was pure popcorn entertainment, not a mystery film.
The movie's pacing was masterful, maintaining a rhythm where every five minutes saw a minor action scene, and every ten minutes a major one. Most of the action involved both people and cars, staying true to the franchise's theme of speed and adrenaline.
The roar of engines never ceased in the theater.
And where there were cars, there were also beautiful women.
When Gal Gadot appeared in a white T-shirt and tight pants, many in the audience audibly gasped. Her legs were just too long and straight!
Nini stared at the screen in disbelief. She was stunned by how slender Gal Gadot was, as thin as lightning.
Sean soon uncovered that Dominic Toretto's death was connected to the major drug lord Braga. Brian also found his way to Sean, revealing that he wanted Sean to go undercover in Braga's organization, offering to wipe Sean's criminal record as a reward.
After some back-and-forth, they agreed to work together. Sean brought Daniel Wu into the mix, along with the mysterious beauty Gisele, and Brian rekindled his romance with Mia. The foundation of the "Fast Family" was now forming, with Sean and Brian at its core.
However, this movie only introduced the beginnings of the Fast Family. From a long-term perspective, the theme of family wasn't fully developed yet.
Compared to the familial bonds of the Fast Family, Matthew's romantic scenes with Gal Gadot carried more weight.
As for the plot, beyond the mystery of who Braga really was, there wasn't much suspense.
To be precise, the movie's story was like a running diary.
Yet despite the diary-like simplicity of the plot, the audience was thoroughly entertained, their eyes glued to the screen.
Perhaps in a decade, films like this might not resonate as much, but at this time, simple and explosive action movies were the most popular genre in Hollywood.
Lin Feng was thoroughly engrossed. This was undoubtedly the best film released so far this year.
With an abundance of luxury, muscle, and custom cars, even Lin, who wasn't a car enthusiast, was exhilarated by the high-octane chase scenes.
The movie was an audiovisual feast. Beyond the spectacular visuals, the sound design was equally impressive. The engine roars, the screeching tires, the crunching collisions, and the shattering glass—none of it was jarring. Instead, thanks to the surround sound system, it felt like a beautiful automotive symphony, thrilling to the ears.
This was what a blockbuster was supposed to be!
As the film reached its climactic final showdown, numerous cars raced across the wild terrain on the U.S.-Mexico border. Matthew and Paul Walker worked in perfect sync, dodging enemy traps and launching counterattacks with exceptional driving skills and combat prowess—shooting out opponents' tires or ramming them off the road.
At the critical moment, Gisele, who had grown close to the male lead, turned against the enemy, with Daniel Wu flanking from behind, catching the drug lords off guard.
Gisele's appearance was breathtaking. Unlike the other three male characters, she rode a motorcycle, her firearm skills far superior to the rest. Even while riding, her aim was impeccable.
Her character was a stark contrast to the traditional damsel-in-distress roles. She didn't need to be saved by a man; she was strong enough to protect herself and even defeat formidable enemies.
With their allies' help, Sean and Brian finally caught up to Braga, leading to another intense car chase.
The showdown ended with Brian battling Braga's top driver, Phoenix, in a one-on-one duel. Brian held his own but was eventually rammed off the road.
Thankfully, Matthew's character arrived just in time, taking out Phoenix by ramming his car and saving Brian.
By the end of the film, Lin Feng could only think of one word to describe Matthew: cool.
Cool in fights, cool in driving, cool even when injured, cool when kissing Gisele, and still impossibly cool when being handcuffed by the police at the end.
Since Sean had made a deal with Brian, he chose to trust the police. But like most Hollywood films, government agencies in the U.S. were not to be trusted. The police broke their promise and sentenced Sean to sixty years in prison.
In other words, the protagonist was doomed to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The film ended with Matthew's character, Sean, being escorted to prison in a police van. As the van drove off into the sunset, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Daniel Wu, and Gal Gadot chased after it in their sports cars.
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