Great bikes, great stunts, but forget the story. Patricia Weston went to see Torque
There's a new movie genre which is not unlike porn movies - action and performance are necessary but plot is irrelevant. In this new genre, fast and furious bikes and cars are placed as products around a weak plot.
The function of these films is to push products. The days of classic motorbike or car movies are sadly over. The Italian Job (original) and Easy Rider remain timeless masterpieces without fear of challenge from modern movie-makers.
Torque now joins the ranks of the uninspiring, brainless, plotless porn-like teenage fast flick, alongside 2 Fast 2 Furious, Biker Boyz and the remake of The Italian Job. The movie's only saving grace is the wheels.
Torque showcases some great bikes, most notably the silver MT Y2K. There are only 10 of these bikes in the world, four in the US. The Y2K boasts a carbon-filled chassis built around an inverted Rolls-Royce Allison 25O-C18 turbine jet engine, originally designed for a helicopter. With over 300 horsepower, it hits 227mph in 15 seconds.
Protagonist Cary Ford (Martin Henderson) rides into his hometown on his Aprilia Mille RSV superbike and the viewer is taken on a stunt-filled, high octane, two-wheeled journey as he sets out on a mindless journey to clear his name and win back his girlfriend.
Ford battles it out with the leader of the Reapers motorcycle gang, Trey (Ice Cube) riding a Triumph Daytona 955i. They chase through the desert like dusty leathered-up urban cowboys on their "crotch rockets."
Both end up riding on their bikes on a fast moving train which makes for some good action. Ford is so nifty on his machine that he manages to burst into a carriage from the roof and ride along, before jumping to the safety of the tracks ahead of the train.
In another chase the gangs rip through a palm-tree forest doing impressive front- and back-wheelies and jumps over tree stumps, climaxing in a stunning head-on collision between two bikes.
Two women battle it out on their machines in another scene. Shane, played by Monet Mazur, rides a Cobalt blue Triumph TT 600. The pair do some spectacularly choreographed Matrix-style stunts as they kick and punch one another on and off the saddle.
But there's too much inane jostling, fighting and snarling between the gangs and not enough racing. The film is set in the desert on hot, dry open roads which gives ample opportunity for racing between the tumbleweed.
Torque is nicely shot with some lovely desert scenes. The power-driven bikes are fitted with more "extras" and power with the aid of computer animation.
Indeed, some scenes resemble computer games, letting the pre-pubescent audience sit back and enjoy the "game" without thumb action.
Very slight on plot but heavy on throttle, this teen movie won't keep you guessing. But, if you're a bike fan, the awesome stunts and stunning superbikes should get your adrenalin working.