In seeing any film made by the brilliant minds behind “The
Fast and the Furious” and “S.W.A.T,” one must be
willing to forgo certain levels of artistic quality in pursuit of
mindless entertainment. “Torque” manages, more than any
of its predecessors, to test the limits of critical audiences and
their willingness to lower their standards.

The stunts and feats showcased in “Torque” are so
overly elaborate that they make Neo’s achievements in
“The Matrix” look like they could happen in the real
world. Instead of being mesmerized by their tricks, viewers cannot
help but laugh at the ridiculous spectacle on screen. Sure,
characters in action films are supposed to be somewhat superhuman.
Films are allowed to go slightly past what is ordinarily possible.
But “Torque” makes no apologies for not even bothering
to explain why these ludicrous characters can perform actions that
are nothing short of feats of God.

The story begins when Cary Ford (Martin Henderson) returns to
the Southern California biker world six months after he disappeared
to Thailand. Upon returning home, he is greeted by his furious
girlfriend, Shane (Monet Mazur), and a rival gang whose drugs he
lost to the hands of the law.

The performances in “Torque” are downright shameful.
It seems the priority was to create as attractive a cast as
possible. To be fair to the leading actors, however, the script
affords them little opportunity to shine. The dialogue is more
appropriate for a high school film project than a big-budget
Hollywood release.

“Torque” is not even able to find salvation in its
overdone special effects. The final action sequence is so poorly
done that it looks more like a videogame than a film. The sound
mixing is also indicative of how little care was put into the
making of this film. There is a scene where the characters’
lips move and yet there is no corresponding dialogue ––
only silence.

Producers Neil H. Moritz and Brad Luff have managed to
successfully continue their downward slide. This return to their
original formulas of fast engines and attractive women demonstrates
that perhaps there is a limit to such an appealing combo
–– even with ever-expanding budgets.

From the shameless advertising of Pepsi products to the
characters’ injury-free survival of outrageously dangerous
stunts, “Torque” does not hesitate to insult the
intelligence of the audience. Wasn’t the lesson of the 2003
summer film season that the audience was not as stupid as studio
executives thought?

Rating: 0/5 stars