You might think that the Fast & Furious series is just a brainless action fest, and for the most part you'd be entirely correct. However there are quite a few events and characters from Fast & Furious (the fourth film) and Fast Five that feed into what happens in Fast & Furious 6, and all three of these movies actually take place before Tokyo Drift (the third film). While it's not quite like trying to catch up with Lost mid-season, it does help to come prepared.
The whole gang are rich and relaxed after the events in Rio, but previous antagonist Special Agent Hobbs (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) shows up on their front door looking for help. New bad guy on the block Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) is collecting bits of a super-weapon from all over the world, with the final part to be found in London. As an added incentive to help, Hobbs reveals that Dominic Toretto's (Vin Diesel) supposedly dead ex-girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is actually alive and well and working with the villains. Cue a globe-trotting adventure from England to Spain to Russia to Los Angeles as the gang attempt to bring down Shaw's crew who are just as vehicularly talented as Toretto's.
With new bad guys, new good guys (Gina Carano shows up as Hobbs' second in command) and the return of Rodriguez, some of the series regulars get unfairly side-lined or just chopped out entirely. The rest don't have anything new to do; Paul Walker is still very much the sub to Vin Diesel's Dom, The Rock is a walking steroid constantly spouting confusing similes, and everyone else is either comic relief or eye candy.
After Fast Five came out of nowhere to blow us all away, expectations were high for this entry, and unfortunately it doesn't quite reach them. Despite the more convoluted plot, this movie's IQ is even lower than previous entries, with things like logic and realistic character development left on the side of the road to hitch-hike their own way to the finish line. Also, while the action sequences are bigger - the tanks, the planes, oh my! - this time round there seems to be less of them, with the movie taking way too long to properly rev up its engines for the extended, hugely explosive finale.
As far as Fast & Furious films go, Six is the second best of the bunch, never quite reaching the giddy highs of Five. However, we are treated to a post-credits teaser for Seven which should have fans drooling for next summer's entry; no doubt our expectations will go up even higher. Here's hoping next time they're met.
