Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Movie Review

"To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.”

Fast & Furious 6, the latest installment in the wildly popular Fast and the Furious franchise, arrives on Blu-ray on a far more somber and sobering note than its predecessors. Series star Paul Walker was killed this past weekend in a single- car accident that also claimed the life of the vehicle's driver, Always Evolving owner Roger Rodas. The actor was attending an event for his charity, Reach Out WorldWide, which has been working to raise funds for those impacted by Typhoon Haiyan. By all accounts, Walker was as kind and generous a man as he was passionate a car enthusiast, and while he and Rodas thankfully weren't participating in street racing of any kind, the bitter, bitter irony is that Walker died in life much like he will forever live on screen. Suddenly the Big Dumb Fun of his fifth Fast & Furious film isn't all that fun to watch. It's by no means a bad movie, mind you. If not for the tragedy, Furious 6 would easily stand as one of the more entertaining, over-the- top entries in the genre-shifting series, which has cleverly evolved from niche racing trilogy to full-blown action franchise. But audiences will have a decidedly different experience at home than they did when watching the film in theaters earlier this year.

I've decided in lieu of a review, which strikes me as rather insensitive at the moment, that it would be more fitting to simply discuss the merits of the Blu-ray release and leave discussion about the movie to the forum. The only thing that seems more fitting today is the message Vin Diesel published over the weekend, which offers a sentiment most Fast & Furious fans will share: "Brother, I will miss you very much."

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fast & Furious 6 features a terrific 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer free of any significant issues. Ringing appears from time to time, a bit of crush too, but everything else looks every bit as impressive as it should. Colors are warm and relatively natural, primaries have kick, skintones are lifelike and accurately saturated, black levels are nice and deep, and contrast is dialed in perfectly. Detail is excellent as well, with crisp edge definition and well-resolved fine textures. There is a bit of softness to be had here and there -- several shots aren't as razor sharp as the film's most visually stunning sequences -- but each instance appears to trace back to the source, nothing more. Artifacting, banding, aliasing and other eyesores are absent, and there aren't any red flags to report. The sixth Blu-ray release in the series doesn't disappoint.

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The highlight of the disc is Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which is as proficient, powerful and immersive as the lossless tracks included with previous series entries. Dialogue is clean and clear at all times, with impeccable prioritization even in the midst of the most chaotic chases and action scenes. The rear speakers are brimming with activity; directional effects are precise, cross-channel pans are transparent, and the experience is as enveloping and engaging as any fan could hope for. LFE output is just as rewarding, with deep, heavy thooms, resounding explosions, and the throaty, thundering roar of the cars' engines. Nothing is out of sorts.

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Unrated Extended Cut: The Blu-ray edition of Fast & Furious 6 includes two versions of the film: a 131- minute extended cut and a 130-minute theatrical cut. The only downside? The additions are minimal and inconsequential.
• Audio Commentary: After explaining his original intent to name the film Furious 6 (before Universal's marketing department intervened), director Justin Lin delivers a shot by shot, scene by scene dissection of Fast & Furious 6, touching on virtually every aspect of the sequel's development, scripting, casting, shoot, stunts, action sequences and visual effects.
• Take Control (HD, 19 minutes): Based on Vin Diesel's introduction, this featurette was actually designed to be a part of a Picture-in-Picture experience. Instead it's presented by its lonesome, which is all well and good since it's really just a string of interviews with Diesel, Walker and other members of the cast and production team.
• The Making of Fast & Furious 6 (HD, 27 minutes): Dig deeper into the sixth installment in the series with this 4-part production documentary. Segments include "The Fastest of Them All," "Reuniting the Team," "Letty's Return" and "The Mastermind and the Mole."
• Planes, Tanks and Automobiles (HD, 24 minutes): Another four-parter, this time detailing "The London Chase," "The Convoy Attack," "The Antonov Takedown" and the moment "Dom and Letty Race Again."
• It's All About the Cars (HD, 15 minutes): It is, isn't it? Slip into the drivers' seats and take your place behind the wheels of the film's rides with "On the Set with Vin," "Gearhead's Delight" and "The Flip Car."
• Hand to Hand Fury (HD, 10 minutes): The cast and crew attempt to top themselves with the hard-hitting fight scenes in Fast & Furious 6. This featurette takes a look at the effort that went into doing so.
• Fast & Furious 7 First Look (HD, 2 minutes): A tantalizing glimpse into the future of the series as the FF speed junkies attend a funeral and discuss an emerging threat.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 2 minutes): Three short scenes: "Intro to CCTV," "Han & Gisele Talk" and "Prison Guard."

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's impossible to watch Fast & Furious 6 without seeing it in a completely different light. It's always strange to watch a film after an actor has died, particularly in cases like this in which circumstances surrounding that death are similar to events depicted on screen. Still, Walker helped make the Fast & Furious franchise the success that it is. If Fast & Furious 7 is completed, and if the series survives to ride another day, it will be, in part, because of him and most certainly dedicated to his memory. How it's completed, how it will survive and, if so, how it will change is something fans will soon find themselves considering. For now, Universal's Blu-ray release is an excellent one, with a knockout AV presentation and a solid supplemental package. Franchise fans will be most pleased.