“Fast & Furious 6” – Clearly, nobody ever told the makers of the “Fast & Furious” franchise that less is more. More is ALWAYS more – and so regular fans will be delighted with this latest installment, which again ups the ante with the cars, the crazy stunts, the crashes and the fights. Vin Diesel’s Dom, now wealthy and living the good life, is lured back into action by his erstwhile nemesis, the federal agent Hobbs (the absurdly buff Dwayne Johnson). It seems a villain named Shaw has amassed a huge military arsenal – including a big tank and a cargo jet – and is one component short of wreaking total havoc. Even more important for Dom, he has Letty working for him – she’s Dom’s former paramour, and seems to be suffering from amnesia. A welcome – indeed, crucial – element of all this is the film’s sense of humor. Especially funny are Tyrese Gibson as Roman and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as Tej, Dom’s partners in crime. Not everyone gets out alive. As for the lucrative franchise, though, it’s clearly alive and kicking; there’s even a post-credits teaser here for the seventh film. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language. 130 minutes. Two stars out of four.
– Jocelyn Noveck, AP National Writer
“The Hangover Part III” – “Daring” isn’t a word you would use very much to describe 2011’s “The Hangover Part II,” the disappointingly lazy, beat-for-beat rehash of the wild and wildly successful original “Hangover” from 2009. And yet, here we are with part three, which runs a different sort of risk by going to darker and more dangerous places than its predecessors. It dares to alienate the very audience that made “The Hangover” the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time because, well, it isn’t exactly a comedy. Sure, there are some outrageous lines and sight gags, mostly courtesy of Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong, who function as central figures this time when, previously, a little bit of them went a long way. But director and co-writer Todd Phillips signals early and often that he’s much more interested than ever before in exploring matters of real consequence rather than simply mining them for brash laughs. This time, Galifianakis’ insufferable, inappropriate man-child Alan has gone off his meds and is out of control. His family and friends – including fellow “Wolfpack” members Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) – stage an intervention and offer to drive him to a treatment center in Arizona. Clearly, this won’t be an innocuous trek through the desert. Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity. 100 minutes. Three stars out of four.
– Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
