I went to this film mainly because I ride a Suzuki GSXR750 and a Suzuki Hayabusa. I also enjoyed “The Fast and the Furious” and was expecting a similar thrill.
Bikes: The bikes are great, however, the camera work doesn’t give time to look at any of them. Quick panning and hand-held shots obscure the views. There are some good wheelies and an amazing stoppie by the (ahem) “hero” with his girlfriend on the back.
Plot: Very weak. Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) is Kid, whose father, played by Eric LaSalle (ER), is mechanic of illegal bike drag racer, Smoke (Laurence Fishburne). Kid’s father is killed while as a spectator of an illegal bike drag race. Kid blames illegal racer and makes it a goal to unseat him as “King of Cali.” Boy finds out Smoke is his real father. Blah…blah…blah.
Everything the critics wrote is true. I cared nothing for Kid. He is more a punk than a hero. He doesn’t work to get the crown. He instead goes against the rule of no hustling to make a name for himself. Eventually he wins only because the opponent gives up!
Ridiculous Characters: I felt nothing for the mother, even though she loses her husband in the first five minutes. Her boy is out racing against her will but she has no idea? Give me a break.
Why is Lisa Bonet (Queenie) in this movie? She gives nothing to the plot and plays a biker slut. Bad move for her career (does she have one?).
The only white boys in the film are either crazy or cheats. Stuntman (Brendan Fehr) is on our hero’s team but races without a helmet. Very believable-not! Kid Rock plays Dogg, leader of the street cruisers. His style of racing is to veer and swerve into the other rider causing a crash or forfeit.
Racing: I enjoyed the first race and was expecting more of the same. However, having ridden a cycle at speed, I could not suspend my belief enough to enjoy the action. The riders wear half-helmets! Not comfortable or safe at speeds over 40 mph. No eyewear! Not comfortable or safe at speeds over 20 mph. Some don’t wear helmets! Not comfortable or safe at speeds over 0 mph.
The racers do not even tuck in behind the windscreens! Even a person who has never driven a motorcycle should find this unusual.
The (ahem) “climatic” race takes place on a bumpy dirt road. I can’t tell you anyone I know who would race his or her machine on a road like the one in the movie. Certainly not me.
Check out the cycles in “Mission Impossible II” and “Fled” if you want to see some good riding.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.