Vin Diesel and company get "Fast & Furious" again

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Street racing movie "Fast & Furious" motors into theaters on Friday with action star Vin Diesel and others from the original film back on screen to refuel the film franchise.

In 2001, the first film in the series, "The Fast and the Furious," surprised Hollywood with more than $207 million in worldwide ticket sales, and 2003's sequel "2 Fast 2 Furious" topped that figure with $236 million.

The most recent movie, 2006's "The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift," lost momentum, however, earning only $158 million globally. So, Universal Pictures has given the franchise an overhaul and returned with original cast members Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster.

Still, the four have enjoyed limited success outside the street racing "Fast and the Furious series, leaving industry watchers to wonder if they can still lure fans to theaters.

Walker, who starred in the first two films and races cars in real life, said he understands the series' appeal.

"It's just car culture, doesn't matter where you are in the world, it's huge," Walker said. "And that's why internationally this thing hit the way it did."

In the original, Diesel played tough guy Dom Toretto, the street racing leader of a thieving gang. Undercover cop Brian O'Conner (Walker) was assigned to take down the gang, but got entangled with Dom's sister, Mia (Brewster), and with racing.

For the new movie, the setting changes from Los Angeles to the Mexican desert, and old foes Dom and Brian team up to confront a common enemy. Along the way come car chases, convoy heists and burning gas tankers.

FROM CAMEO TO COMEBACK

Unlike his co-stars, Diesel made a crowd-pleasing cameo appearance as Dom in "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," an experience the actor said changed his views about the role.

"It wasn't until the cameo that I realized how much the audience has owned Dom," Diesel said.

It's a connection to a character that Diesel has not always enjoyed in his star vehicles.

After the original "Fast and Furious," his next movie, action flick "XXX," made more than $142 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices. But his most recent "Babylon A.D." earned only $22.5 million in the same markets.

Walker also has seen several low points as movies such as the widely hyped "Into the Blue" failed to ignite a flame at box offices with only $18 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Rodriguez has faced starts and stops, too, since playing Dom's girlfriend in the first "Fast and Furious." She won a recurring role on hit TV drama "Lost," but was later arrested for driving under the influence.

Last week, her real-life exploits gained media attention again when she arrived at a Mexico City airport in a wheelchair and leapt up to chase after a paparazzo.

Brewster has had a quiet run, making her biggest splash in the 2006 reboot of the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" franchise.

Despite all that has happened since they last appeared in the same movie, the "Fast & Furious" stars said they are happy to be reunited.

"A lot's changed but a lot hasn't," Walker said. "Vin's got a kid now, Jordana's married, Michelle is still crazy. And we just have a blast together." [Source from: reuters.com]