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58 out of 75 people found the following comment useful :- I've waited a long time for this . . ., 1 September 2004 Author: jaywriterXIII from USA
In reviewing the incredible annoying House of the Dead, I wrote, 'Why flirt with the concept of overkill when you can make it say 'whose your daddy?' Torque does not flirt with overkill; Torque *is* overkill's daddy, and it was fun. Just a few hours before I watched Scary Movie 3 and that film barely managed to summon a chuckle from me. Torque had me in stitches before the first sixty-seconds were up. After years of watching 'serious' films with ridiculously over the top chase sequences (especially lately), finally a movie comes along and puts them all in their place. I have waited a long time for a racing-movie to recognize its own lameness and just (knowingly) go for all the over-the-top stunts it can possibly collect in a loosely strung together plot about a bunch of stereotyped misfits no one really cares about.As stated above, the key was the fact this film does not take itself seriously. Take for example the MTV quick-cut commercial editing style, its overly colorful nature in sets and props, the comic-book-ish camera angles, the overused CG for impossible camera/bike moves, and the lighting which left the high-contrast shadows in mid-day. Want more? How 'bout when a bike speeds past a road sign, making it do a Looney Toonsesque-spin, and if you look carefully you can see the words 'Cars Suck?'Everything perfectly matched the goal this film set out to hit, which is basically a tongue-in-cheek XBox game on the silver screen so commenting on the characters and plot seems virtually pointless. It's about as well developed as most action films-characters and plot serve enough purpose to get the bikes from chase scene A to chase scene B while poking fun at characters/lines from other racing films. No more no less.I personally loved Torque. Would I recommend it to friends, family, or Joe-Shmoe who happens to pass me by in the video store? Well . . . for those who watch films with an anal eye and point out, 'That's not a logical plot point. That defies the laws of physics. That's the single stupidest thing I've ever seen in cinema?' No. Heck no. Don't even pick up the box. However, for those who can watch a film where the comedy lay not in punch lines rather in the style -- a film that's a celebration of all things lame in all of cinema's over-glorified chase scenes? Have a blast and join in with Torque's mockery of the genre.
54 out of 78 people found the following comment useful :- C'mon, it's a B-movie! Lighten up! (***), 1 February 2004 Author: Jason Alley (samurai1978@aol.com) from Sacramento
A lot of people think that I love the "Charlie's Angels" movies because I think they're "so bad, they're good", when that's actually not true. On the contrary, I think they are pretty smart (especially in the precise way they constantly reference pop culture in clever and heartfelt ways). And yes, they are totally silly and unrealistic and goofy, but what I like about that is that it's completely intentional (which is what most people don't get, and is so obvious to me)."Torque", on the other hand, is a perfect example of a movie that is TRULY so bad, it's good. Or at least enjoyable in a surreal, lunatic sort of way. This movie seriously doesn't have a brain in its head.In every sense a B-movie, it most resembles those gleefully exploitive, low-budget movies that Roger Corman and Russ Meyer made decades ago, where biker gangs did battle with their switchblade-toting girlfriends at their side. And it's every bit as silly as it sounds, which could be either good news or bad news for you, depending on what kind of filmgoer you are.Personally, I knew it was crap the whole time, but still had a blast watching it. The story is ridiculous and the dialogue is ludicrous (these characters exist in a world where when a girl says "Nice bike", the guy says "Nice a**" and she LIKES it). But I cannot fully resist a movie in which two improbably beautiful biker chicks stare each other down on their bikes in a photogenic, deserted alleyway (both of them in front of huge product logos, for extra giggles), one of them yells "Bring it on, b****!", the other whips out a switchblade, and then they charge! As a classic B-movie enthusiast, I offer no apologies for having fun watching a scene like that.It's really not all bad, either. Martin Henderson and Monet Mazur have some genuinely nice and tender scenes together, and the great, color-conscious cinematography makes everything look so shiny you could eat off the screen. Jamie Pressly is an absolute hoot as the evil biker chick, and Adam Scott scores some laughs as a conceited F.B.I. agent.Also, several of the action scenes are pretty amazing, once you get over the idea that this movie is obviously not taking place on planet Earth, but rather some video game universe or a 12 year-old's dream.I wish Ice Cube was off doing the kinds of good movies he used to make (like "Three Kings", the original "Friday", "Boyz N The Hood", "Higher Learning", "Ghosts Of Mars"...), but he contributes some laughs as one of the heavies here. I do wish he had changed his expression at least once, though. You know the one where he grits his teeth and curls his upper lip so that he look like he hates your guts and steam is about to come out of his ears? That's the one that he has throughout the entire movie.Basically, I'm not gonna fight for this movie or anything, I realize it's of essentially no value. I'll just say that it made it easy for me to shut off my brain and I enjoyed it, and maybe you will too. I give "Torque" 3 stars the same way I would give "Switchblade Sisters" 3 stars. They're awful and cheesy, but a hell of a lot of fun, and that counts for something, doesn't it?
25 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :- Pretty as cotton candy being spun at a fair..., 14 February 2004 Author: jemmytee from Los Angeles, Ca.
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
...And just about as nutritious for anyone seeking a coherent story or serious characters. But being an aficionado of low-rent B movies, I took TORQUE for what it was -- a video game on film that had no relationship to the laws of physics. Roger Corman would be proud of this puppy.I loved the look of it. I hate the desert (where it seems 75% of this film was shot) but it seemed so lovely, I almost wanted to visit the locations. Martin and Monet are beautiful to look at and almost pull off their "tougher-than-thou" attitudes. Ice Cube was dope (meant in the good way, not the dumb one) and the bad boys (and grrrrl) were just too much fun. Joseph Kahn shows promise as a director (if someone will please put him on Valium); his quiet moments were just as nice as his non-stop action ones.What's bad? I can't say the script was because it's obvious there really wasn't one except in the loosest sense. The editing was so in your face, I got lost a few times and still cannot figure out how one character died except he went BOOM on his bike in downtown LA. I was a bit offended at how all the black guys were portrayed in a stereotypical "bad-assed-muthaf**kah" way as opposed to the cool as cucumber confidence of "the lead three and she" and the "we're refugees from MAD MAX" baddies.Let's put it this way -- cotton candy is probably the worst thing you can put in your body in the way of anything edible, but if you got a craving for it, nothing else will do. And that's TORQUE, to the "max."
23 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :- Did somehow everyone misunderstood this movie?, 20 July 2005 Author: Boba_Fett1138 from Groningen, The Netherlands
What's with the hate for this movie? Why can't people just take this movie for what it is? This movie is just simply good B-movie action entertainment. Its obviously no Oscar material, no but did you seriously expected it to be? At least it doesn't take itself as serious as both the Fast and the Furious movies did. You know that when you are going to watch a movie like "Torque" you are going to see a bad story with some second rate actors but with some nice action.And this movie surely has some nice action. The motorcycle sequences are surprising good and tense. Most of the stunts were nicely choreographed and the movie has some nice camera tricks and nice editing. It's obvious when watching this movie that Joseph Kahn is a music video director but that certain style works perfect for a fast paced movie like this. Joseph Kahn seems like a talented and well motivated director, of which I'm sure we will hear more of in the future. Yeah sure, the ending is pretty bad and fake looking but it didn't ruined the movie for me in any way. I was entertained throughout the entire movie by some nice action.The movie has a bit of an awkward kind of humor, which they should had left out in my opinion. The script is not very well written but still the actors pull it of to make their characters likable and give them a personality. Would I mind seeing "Torque 2"? Most certainly not! I would rather see a "Torque 2" than a "The Fast and the Furious 3".Really, just give this movie a chance, you might very well end up liking it.6/10
12 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :- Fast bikes, hard rock and Jaime Pressly in leather, 7 February 2004 Author: Dr. Gore (drgore@hotmail.com) from Los Angeles, California
*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*I saw "Torque" in a near deserted movie theater. It was me in the second row and two 13 or 14 year old guys in the back row. We were the target audience. "Torque" hit a bullseye for us. So if you're not a teenage boy or a B-movie lunatic, avoid "Torque". If you fit into the profile audience for an insane biker flick, see this movie immediately."Torque" is hilarious. I was cheering through the whole thing. It wasn't just the stunts that had me going. It was the dialogue as well. When the main biker tries to make up with his girlfriend who he ditched he says, "I wrote letters." She says, "I made fires." I just had a laughing fit writing that.Ice Cube shows up as the angriest biker in the world. He has a permanent scowl on his face. Just looking at him had me laughing. All the macho elements of a biker flick are on proud display. The hard rock was cranked up as the bikers did battle. There was Kid Rock and Static-X. It was a hard rock party. I had a good time.Speaking of Static-X, the last scene with super hot Jaime Pressly has "Push it" blasting away as she does battle with the main blonde biker. Ah Jaime. What a special effect you are. Good Lord, she can squeeze into a pair of leather pants. Gotta love it.
15 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :- Surprisingly entertaining, 4 November 2005 Author: Mattias Petersson from Stockholm, Sweden
When sitting down to watch a movie like Torque my expectations are down so low that they almost touch the earth's core. Maybe that's also why i actually found this movie to be mildly entertaining? The closest movie references here seemed to be the "Fast and the furious"-movies, at least before the movie started. But while the setting is not unlike those movies (criminal gangs racing each other in custom vehicles) there was still a big difference in how the movies played out. First of all i like the style of "Torque" a lot better. Granted, the over-the-top racing sequences with quite a lot of CGI tucked in to create the illusion of speed are too much many times. But still, there is a certain style and feeling here that actually makes it work pretty well.The beginning of the movie almost made me give up though. The "hero" arrives at a biker meet where women with more silicone than natural tissue greet him and it almost becomes too much to bear. But when the obligatory naked skin passes by the action picks up, and so does the entertainment. Don't be mistaken, this movie is a hopelessly juvenile testosterone-fest. But in the genre it's not too bad.So if you like fast bikes and fast paced racing this might just be your choice for the Friday night entertainment. Easily digested, easily forgotten, but a fun ride while it lasts. I rate this 5/10.
9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :- this movie is completely ridiculous, but i love it -spoiler-, 24 July 2005 Author: fliphop from oklahoma
if they just cut out saying 'bitch' a few times i would give it a ten. the plot is shakespearian. the dialog is really corny but the film makes fun of its own dialog via the relationship between the 2 lead characters. the fbi cop is amazingly cast and so his his side kick. he is like some starbucks sarcastic teenager who got a hummer for his birthday.the visuals, though, are what make this movie. they are absolutely crazy. even with the matrix and all the other movies like it, the visuals in this film are still quite something to see. they have unusual angle changes, strange lighting, atmospheric effects, zooms, low angles of motorcycle chases, etc. there are numerous times where a 0.5 second frame is injected in a really weird manner that is quite striking, such as when the woman pushes the trigger on the explosives, or when the bike rider flips up her knife in slow motion and catches it. the shot of ice cube looking at 'ford' through the train is also quite striking.the stunts are incredible ... the product placement is completely over the top and obvious in a really silly way, but somehow it fits with the movie, because the movie is over the top in a really silly way too. and motorcyclers and racers really do have corporate logos pasted all over their bodies so it doesn't seem ridiculous.the evil woman reminds me of a Disney villain from Cinderella or something. if you stop trying to analyze everything so much you just might have a jolly good time eating popcorn as you watch the explosions and motorbikes flying all over the screen.
18 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :- See this movie for the action, and the beautiful Monet Mazur., 30 March 2004 Author: mack3175-1 from Metairie, Louisiana
This movie has tones of high octane thrills it almost makes you forget about a storyline. Because the story seems to drag itself around. For its action moments that seems to come in every 5-10 minutes of the movie. If not for the action this movie would be dull. Martin Henderson seems to do allright, and so does Ice Cube. But it's Monet Mazur, who seems to have a great blend of beauty and toughness in her role. I think she can have a great career ahead of her. The action was awesome, but acting was dull. But then again I thought Fast and The Furious was no better. It does'nt try to be anything truly terrific, it just tries to be a movie you can enjoy with your friends.
29 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :- A pleasant surprise, 14 September 2004 Author: jeremyrodriguez from New Mexico
I caught this movie on DVD the other day. I thought it was going to be terrible. It was actually great! The action goods are all there, but five minutes into it I got the joke and was laughing with it (not at it). I don't think this movie will appeal to everyone, but it will get two types for sure: action gearheads who just want a solid uncomplicated action picture, and smart viewers who can appreciate clever film-making and the in-jokes threaded throughout. After seeing the cameo of Dennis Weaver still being chased by the truck from Duel after thirty years, I was won over by the Torque's own charms. First of all it the director, cinematographer, and editor did a great job. This film looks incredible. For those of you who actually care about film-making, this film is densely loaded with interesting angles and techniques that somehow manage to work as a cohesive style. I love the way Joseph Kahn stages scenes. It's very creative and he has a sharp sense of timing - action and comedywise. An overlooked first effort and I would like to see more from him. Second, I thought Martin Henderson as Cory Ford did a solid job as your typical running from the law good guy. I liked his charisma and hope he does more action flicks. There are some standout sequences but my favorites are the opening car chase, the train sequence, the freeway, and the surreal, over-the-top Playstation style ending. What's great is that each has its own feel so that there is no sense of repetition. You feel like each chase brings something new to the table, unlike other ilk of this genre. Need I say anything about the women in this film? Wow. I would let Jaime Pressly ride my bike anytime she wants. A word about the bad reviews here: ignore them. The film is too good as an action movie to be dismissed - what are the looking for, Cold Mountain? Disregard anyone who complains about the "pepsi product placement" for that is most definitely someone who did not get the joke (two motorcycle dominatrix chicks staged opposite from each other under big prominent soft drink signs - classic!). I think the movie suffers from a minor contradiction - it's script is too dumb, but it's film-making is too smart. Yes, the story is crap, but you don't watch a motorcycle chase movie for STORY. If you sit back and enjoy this modern riff on Roger Corman, you might find a smile on your face. If you have the ability to appreciate the sly wit of smart visual film-making, you could find yourself cheering like I did. Worst movie ever? Ridiculous. Three 1/2 out of five stars, maybe more.
10 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :- Nothing Special but a fun watch, 17 January 2004 Author: iwatcheverything from Texas, USA
I liked this movie. There was nothing special about it at all. Everything looked fake and most of the stunts were beyond believable. Who Cares? It is a fun movie that not only pokes fun at itself but at the makers own other movie Fast and Furious. I thought this was a fun watch and all the votes seem to be coming from people who were looking for a serious movie with great acting. Why? You can tell by previews this is not that kind of film. This is a great way to just entertain yourself. Go see it soon.
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