Fast Track: No Limits (2008)

(On DVD, May 2011) As a Fast and the Furious clone, this isn’t too bad: Despite what feels like a low budget, Fast Track: No Limits cleverly tricks out what it has under the hood and delivers the honoured mixture of street racing, attractive young people, low-grade crime drama and automotive pulchritude.  Ignore the opening credits, which take the TV pilot approach of showing highlights from the film and headshots of the actors alongside their names: Within minutes, it’s easy to appreciate the glossy cinematography, European setting, likable actors and fast cars.  Fast Track doesn’t have many stunts compared to its inspiration, but they’re used effectively and make an impact when they’re on-screen.  While the rhythm of the film goes a bit flat during its second half, the attention paid to the characters is a bit better than what we could expect from a street-racing action film, and the direction is a bit nervier that one would expect.  There are a few vexing plot holes and missed opportunities (one love scene seems notably gratuitous), but it all amount to a better-than-expected action film, especially considering the low budget and straight-to-DVD pedigree.  Don’t expect anything more than the film from the DVD, which is so lacking that it doesn’t even feature subtitles –something that would have been appreciated given the bewildering salad of accents sported by the film’s actors.