Torque (2004)

Torque is a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart, eliciting so many moments of amped-up and overblown excitement that those with medical conditions (and very serious taste in film) should probably stay ten blocks away. In what could only be called "Extreme Cinema," this little slice of joy relishes in being abundantly over-the-top at every explosive turn. With The Fast and the Furious franchise never quite living up to its full high-voltage potential, Torque takes the wheel and slams on the gas, delivering scene after glossy scene of ludicrous stunts, laughable dialogue, and a pace akin to modern day Playstation games. With its hilarious B-movie aesthetics worn squarely on its sleeve, the film delivers the juice in so many absurd ways that it's hard not to have a guilty smile on your face throughout its breezy 81-minute running time. Some would blame it on MTV wunderkind Joseph Kahn's first-time filmmaker's incompetence (many moments become barely coherent due to the manic editing), but thanks to his train-wreck-style mishmash of comic book flair and tone, each blemish only ends up adding to this thrill ride's crazy charm. Completely contrasting the dull and needlessly dramatic Biker Boyz, this flick does more than just deliver on the chases it promises. Each explosive action scene consistently raises the bar of lunacy until the very end, as images (helped by loads of CG) breathlessly race by the camera at 200 mph, making the finale a cartoon of mayhem and destruction that redefines the word "outrageous." Sure, it might not be everyone's cup of tasty caffeinated beverage -- but for those who are tired of all the inflated two-hour-plus "epics" out there, Torque is a refreshing distraction that's lean, mean, and 100 percent entertaining. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide