Torque (2004)

Too much of everything

Don't Believe the Hype

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Checking over the reviews of Torque it seems to have an interesting cult following among folks who apparently just like mindless action films. I like them too, but when you write one at least give it a coherent story and some interesting characters you might care about.Torque is the biker movie dream, if he were alive Steve McQueen might want to do stunts incognito. The story as it is concerns Martin Henderson who has to find some crystal meth people say he's holding, avoid Ice Cube who leads a black motorcycle gang who says Henderson killed his brother and bring the real killer to justice. And also avoid some crooked cops.So for almost 90 minutes we are treated to an endless amount of stunts involving two wheel and four wheel vehicles with a few words of dialog to tell us how Henderson is progressing with his goals. If you like this stuff Torque is the movie you've had wet fantasies about all your life.But for me, just a tad bit of a coherent story and a tale told competently acted.

Torque (2004): Dir: Joseph Kahn / Cast: Martin Henderson, Ice Cube, Monet Mazur, Jay Hernandez, Adam Scott: There is not a single character in this stupid film that has the maturity level above a fourth grader. Everybody wants to fight and when they're done fighting they like to ride their bikes until they can find reason to fight again. Title symbolizes an emotional rush or energy but the screenplay has all the energy of a third avenue drunk. Director Joseph Kahn films it as if he was making a commercial for motorcycles. Martin Henderson returns home after a long absence but trouble strikes when old enemies make demands. Ice Cube plays a gang leader whose brother is murdered by another gang but he is led to believe that Henderson did it. They will clash back and forth until viewers want to bury their faces in their hands and cry. Monet Mazur plays a previous girlfriend of Henderson's. She is basically there to bang him and make the enemies really mad. The rest of the cast is about as lively as a flat tire in a monster truck stunt. Action scenes look terrific but to what avail? Without a good screenplay to back them up, it is just a bunch of racing and crashing and fighting. For all the ambition that went into this crap, the film should be placed on the road so that every one of the bikes featured in screen can run over it until it becomes a permanent part of the road. Score: 2 / 10

Released in 2004, "Torque" cost $40 million and only made a little over half back at the USA box office. It's therefore not a very well-known film, but its gained a hardcore cult following in the years since. After viewing it I can see why.I thought it was going to be terrible, but it was actually great! The action goods are all there, but five minutes into it I got the joke and was laughing with it and not at it. I don't think "Torque" 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 filmmaking and the in-jokes threaded throughout. I fall under the second bracket since I generally loathe mindless action flicks. What takes "Torque" beyond mindless physics-defying action is pointed out above: the film is cleverly made and filled with hilarious in-jokes. Director Joseph Kahn has a history in flashy music videos and this comes across on the screen. It's pure eye-candy from beginning to end with all manner of entertaining tidbits, like the brief close-up of the turtle between the racing cars at the very beginning.The look & vibe is pure comic book come to life. Every shot, facial expression, action scene, confrontation, word, set, pose, etc. reflects this. The bikes are mostly crotch rockets but there are all kinds. The guys are coolness personified and the girls are hotness incarnated. The cast is highlighted by Martin Henderson as the worthy protagonist and Monet Mazur as his babe. Ice Cube is great as the leader of a black gang, while Matt Schulze and Jaime Pressly play the villains. There are also a couple of FBI agents in the mix.The cinematography is gorgeous, shot in the desolate regions of S. California.The film takes no prisoners at a brief 84 minutes. This is good since films of this ilk shouldn't overstay their welcome.Believe it or not, there's actually some depth to the characters and storyline; we see glimpses of courage, love, friendship, repentance, respect, sacrifice and loyalty. If they would have upped the depth and offered some moving epic parts I would have easily given the film a top rating of 9/10 Stars.But it works fine as is. It is what it is -- perhaps the ultimate cult action film ever made, pulsating with energy, creativity and excitement.GRADE: B+ or A-

Where to start? The weird insane stunts that have no basis whatsoever in reality? The bike that knocks the clothes off women for being so fast? The tough-cookie women that don't flinch at killing off a score of people but can't bear to let anyone see their flapjacks? Or the racist black guys that dismiss dead white people as part of the fun? This movie was a crapfest from start 'til finish with a bad plot used as a thinly veiled excuse to unleash crazy motorbike stunts that are gtaIV in quality. I'm not even going into the dialogue, because that just annoys me, it isn't even "so bad that it's good" it's gone beyond that all the way back to bad again. Avoid or watch while intoxicated on some illicit substances, although I doubt that will fully cushion you from the god awfulness of this movie. I actually threw up afterwards to purge my system, but I couldn't purge my brain. What has been seen, cannot be unseen. And please dear God, can someone stop Ice Tea from acting in movies, ever again, thanks.