TORQUE (2004)

MORGAN'S RATING

Set in the fast-paced world of motorcycle racing, this action movie shows what happens to long-time biker (and non-gang member) Cary Ford when he is framed by a long-time rival, Henry, the leader of a biker gang called the Hellions for the murder of Sleepy D, the brother of Trey Wallace, the leader of the Machine, the most notorious and feared biker gang in the country. Cary and his friends must make a run for it as they have both Trey and his Machine bikers and the FBI on their tails.

Ice Cube (Trey Wallace), Jay Hernandez (Dalton), Dane Cook (Neil Luff), Faizon Love (Sonny), Jackson Bolt (Hellion/Bar Tender), John Ashker (Yellow Racer), Max Beesley, Jennifer Elizabeth Davis, Gichi Gamba (Nomo), Adam Harrington (Cop), Martin Henderson (Cary Ford), Will Yun Lee (Val), Justina Machado (Henderson), Monet Mazur (Shane), Tom McCleister (Motel Manager), Hayden Mc Farland (Kid), Christina Milian (Nina), Kinga Philipps (Poser's Girlfriend), Jaime Pressly (China), Nichole Mercedes Robinson (Mikisha), Rachelle Roderick (Hellion), Deidra Sarego (Club Girl), Matt Schulze (Henry), Adam Scott (McPherson), Harry Anthony Shelley (Deputy Sheriff), Fredro Starr (Junior), Eddie Steeples (Rasan), Tony Wilde (Young Dude), Jim Cody Williams (Earl), Jesse James (Customer, uncredited), Joseph Kahn (Passenger in Train, uncredited).

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Joseph Khan. WRITER: Matt Johnson. PRODUCERS: Brad Luff and Neal H. Moritz.  ASSISTANT PRODUCER: Larry Webster. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Narween Otto. CO-PRODUCER: Greg Tharp. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bruce Berman and Michael I. Rachmil. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Trevor Rabin and Paul Lindford (additional music), Kid Rock (songs). DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros.

QUOTES

FACTS

Shane: Ford, what part of "I don't love you anymore. You're a bastard, and I never want to see you again" didn't you understand?

RELEASE DATE: January 16th, 2004 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: May 18th, 2004 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $11.4 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $21.1 million (USA) BUDGET: $40 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: July 2002 -- October 2002 - Originally set for release in January 2003 but pushed back a year to avoid competition to the similarly-themed action film Biker Boyz (2003). - The red car and rusty tanker truck that Ford's gang dodges in the beginning of the film are the same ones from the Steven Speilberg film Duel (1971). - Director Joseph Kahn cameos as a passenger on the train as the bike drives through the car. - At one point, Cary says, "I live my life a quarter mile at a time."  Shane responds with, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" This was an intentional poke at The Fast and The Furious (2001). That movie was also produced by Neal Noritz. - Jesse James of West Coast Choppers and Monster Garage makes a cameo in the scene where Ford and Shane are talking inside the tent. Two of his custom choppers are used later in the movie as the bikes Henry James' drugs are stored in. - The "Jet Turbine" Y2L bike that Cary Ford rides to catch Henry actually exists -- one is owned by Jay Leno. It is powered by a refurbished helicopter jet turbine that has reached its "service hours" limit (and therefore must be replaced by order of the FAA); however, such turbines are okay to be used in boats, cars and bikes.

Cary Ford: I live my life a quarter-mile at a time. Shane: That has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard!

Val: Every major road into L.A. is blocked. I know you said it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't difficult, but does it have to be THIS much fun?

Sonny: You better count to ten!

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"A silly, souped-up melodrama without a muffler." -- Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

"It's difficult to tell which is worse -- the acting or the writing." -- James Berardinelli, Reel Views

"The script here is irredeemably 2 fetid and 2 foolish." -- Mike Clark, USA Today

"A good stupid movie." -- Stephen Cole, Globe & Mail

"Amazingly enough, this two-wheeled spinoff of The Fast and the Furious has dumbed down the franchise." -- Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"If you approach the movie with a sense of humor and an appreciation for the preposterous, you may have a decent time." -- Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

"The film is better than it might have been, and better than it had to be. Take it on its own terms, and you might find it interesting." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"Torque is a vacuous variation on an old beer slogan: Looks great, less filling." -- David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer