Customer Reviews

Torque [VHS]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Torque, the new action flick from producer Neal H. Moritz, who produced other smash hits including The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, S.W.A.T. and XXX is actually good. Don't get me wrong the plot is disposable, infact there barely is a serviceable plot but somehow this movie entertains especially when the action gets going.
Martin Henderson plays Ford, a biker who gets in some trouble with rival bike gang. Ice Cube plays a leader of a gang called the Reapers who are after Ford since Cube's character thinks he killed his brother. The Hellions are another group who are manipulating the Reapers into think that he killed his brother when it was indeed them, (the leader of the Hellions gang, played by surprisingly Matt Schluze). Director Joseph Kahn makes his directorial debut and makes a fine one. Though his film makes little sense with an ill-conceived and nonsensical plot it still is worthy just for its groundbreaking and spectacular bike stunts. Some might see them as fake, especially in the finale which is CGI. But overall it's mainly good fun. Surprisingly this movie felt a little long for being an astoundingly short 81 minutes. But you'll like it trust me, at least for the action.
Torque is rated PG-13 for Violence, Sexuality, Language and Some Drug References. The violence includes gunplay, head-banging fights and explosions. The sexuality isn't explicit mainly innuendo along with suggestive dancing. Language is moderate while not being overly strong. All in all, it's a fine ride, especially if you enjoyed The Fast and the Furious movies, XXX and S.W.A.T. See Torque, now playing in theatres everywhere.

I see no reason to not like this movie if you paid money to go see it. If you didn't realize it would be a cheesy action flick with clique driven dialogue, you are so completely ignorant on your movie selections that you disserve to be disappointed.
The plot is a so recycled I can't even remember what film should get the credit for using it originally. The dialogue is so corny that the characters even make fun of each other after delivering their one-liners. The action is such over-the-top physics-defying fluff that it comes off as a science fiction film, and a good one at that.
Martin Henderson and Monet Mauzer act extremely well with the limited dialogue they were given. It seemed as though they knew how over-the top it was and just had fun with it, which makes for a very enjoyable viewing experience. The thing that sets this film apart from movies like The Fast and The Furious, Two Fast Two Furious or Biker Boyz is that it doesn't take itself nearly as serious as those films do.
Torque is director Joseph Kahn's first feature film. His background includes a celebrated career as a music video director and it shows.
So, if you know going into this movie that it is basically an eighty-one minute music video, and that concept is not offensive, you should have a wonderful time. If that doesn't sound like your bag, don't waste your time by going to see it then further waste your time by writing a review of the film like you thought it was going to get the Oscar for best picture of the year.

I caught this movie on DVD the other day. I thought it was going to be terrible. It was actually great! The action goods are all there, but five minutes into it I got the joke and was laughing with it (not at it). I don't think this movie 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 film-making and the in-jokes threaded throughout. After seeing the cameo of Dennis Weaver still being chased by the truck from Duel after thirty years, I was won over by the Torque's own charms. First of all the director, cinematographer, and editor did a great job. This film looks incredible. For those of you who actually care about film-making, this film is densely loaded with interesting angles and techniques that somehow manage to work as a cohesive style. I love the way Joseph Kahn stages scenes. It's very creative and he has a sharp sense of timing - action and comedywise. An overlooked first effort and I would like to see more from him. Second, I thought Martin Henderson as Cory Ford did a solid job as your typical running from the law good guy. I liked his charisma and hope he does more action flicks. There are some standout sequences but my favorites are the opening car chase, the train sequence, the freeway, and the surreal, over-the-top Playstation style ending. What's great is that each has its own feel so that there is no sense of repetition. You feel like each chase brings something new to the table, unlike other ilk of this genre. Need I say anything about the women in this film? Wow. I would let Jaime Pressly ride my bike anytime she wants. A word about the bad reviews here: ignore them. The film is too good as an action movie to be dismissed - what are they looking for, Cold Mountain? Disregard anyone who complains about the "pepsi product placement" for that is most definitely someone who did not get the joke (two motorcycle dominatrix chicks staged opposite from each other under big prominent soft drink signs - classic!). I think the movie suffers from a minor contradiction - it's script is too dumb, but it's film-making is too smart. Yes, the story is crap, but you don't watch a motorcycle chase movie for STORY. If you sit back and enjoy this modern riff on Roger Corman, you might find a smile on your face. If you have the ability to appreciate the sly wit of smart visual film-making, you could find yourself cheering like I did.

Man this movie rocked! Hot girls, amazing chases, it's got it all. Not realistic, but so what, it's a rollercoaster ride. If you like movies, not "films", but "movies", this is for you.

Get ready to throw logic out the window and strap on a seatbelt because Torque is one wild ride. It's best to watch this on a Friday night with your surround sound cranked up and a case of beer. This will test whether your flatscreen/speaker investment has hair on it or not. Think Fast and the Furious, but better, with a sense of humor and lots of wacky camera angles. You will really appreciate the winking way this movie was made (Ice Cube says something unprintable that harks back to his NWA days). Shut your brain off and enjoy this kick your teeth action movie that takes no prisoners and makes no apologies. Also: check out Adam Scott's funny performance as a crooked cop - kind of a James Spader gone really bad!

This movie kind of rocked. I had an excellent time. Really good in a
put your brain away kind of way. Here are the good things about it:
Martin Henderson, cool new leading actor. I liked the fact he's unknown
so he's mysterious.

Ice Cube, says something about the police if you know what I mean.

The humor, it's all good.

The action, what else is there to say, amazing.

The direction, this is a really great looking film.

Jaime Pressly, um...wow.

Now, the bad: It's really short.

That's it. Go see it.

People make the mistake of going into an action/racing movie like this and expecting realism. The idea of this movie is to escape reality and have fun. If you watch this movie with that in mind then you'll love it. As an action flick it's got some great scenes and it one-ups countless previous action movies. Noone complained about MI:2 when the motorcycle tires mysteriously changed to knobbies. Why? Because it's JUST A MOVIE meant for entertainment. The action is what fans are after, even if it's a little off-the-wall. I enjoyed Torque. You will too, if you aren't looking to be a stickler about realism.

Torque is a great movie if you don't think about it too much.The bike chases are great, except for the last one. It looks like they ran out of money for the CGI or were just in a hurry to finish the scene.Monet Mazur and Jamie Presley are hot! Their bike fight was fun and there was product placement a plenty.The DVD has an excellent 5.1 soundtrack that will give your surround sound system a work out.The 16x9 widescreen picture is excellent.This is a great DVD and a must buy.

Usually, with this type of movie, the plot takes a back seat to the action & special effects. Surprisingly, though, that wasn't the case with Torque. Of course, the critics (Surprise!! Surprise!!) didn't like the movie at all, taking EVERY opportunity to run this movie through the mud, which made me think that they just might be wrong ;-) Boy!! Were they EVER wrong!! THIS MOVIE KICKS ASS, MAN!! Who would've ever thought that Ice Cube would be credible as a biker dude? The plot is sound, the acting is great, and the special effects add just the right touch (I like how it doesn't overwhelm the movie) After you watch this movie, you won't feel like you wasted your time doing so.

This movie has plenty of entertainment to go around. The acting is passable and the cast are all generally likable. The story has your usual pseudo good guys and your over-the-top bad guys which is all sort of expected in this sort of movie. In fact, anyone who likes action movies in general should find this very appealing. What is annoying though is all the negative reviews posted here--all are way off base and just plain wrong. After all, action pics are rarely cinematic gems but when done well will deliver just what you are looking for and that's what TORQUE does---delivers the goods !