Our weekly column in which writers share their off-beat, wacky and unexpected current obsessions.
Michelle Rodriguez is a major puzzle piece in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, and when her character “died,” it caused some major reactions in the films. When it was revealed that she wasn't dead, it set up an entire movie that essentially served as the “Search For Spock” of this series.
In “Furious 7,” Letty is still struggling because she can't remember her life with Dom (Vin Diesel), and she can't handle how intensely he loves her because she doesn't remember any of what went on between them. It's given both Rodriguez and Diesel plenty to do in the last two films.
What cracks me up is the way certain things work in this series, then get added to the overall series as recurring ideas. In “Fast and Furious 6,” Letty had to face off against Riley (Gina Carano) in one of the biggest brawls in the movie. In the new film, Letty once again finds herself cornered, this time during a fancy party in the penthouse of a high-rise in Abu Dhabi. Both Letty and her opponent Kara (Ronda Rousey) are in formal gowns, but there is nothing delicate about the fight between them. It is a bone-crunching sequence that manages to top the truly brutal fight from the film before it.
One of the most hilarious evenings at any Fantastic Fest happened the year Tim League challenged Rodriguez to a debate about “Avatar,” with Tim taking the nuanced position “it sucks.” If you've never seen a debate at Fantastic Fest, they all end up being settled in a boxing ring. The build-up to the fight was amazing, with Tim's wife Karrie seated ringside in widow's garb, quietly sobbing behind her veil. Rodriguez was playing along, having fun, until the moment Tim actually landed a punch in the ring. At that point, playtime was over, and the ass-beating began.
The sum total of all of this? Good lord, Michelle Rodriguez is hot. It's not about looks, though. She's a striking woman, sure, but what really makes this my Weird Crush Wednesday entry is that a big part of the attraction here is the idea that she could beat the holy hell out of me at any given moment. In interviews, I've always enjoyed Michelle's sense of humor and attitude, but it is in those moments in her films where we see her swing into action that I find her most swoon-worthy.
Perhaps I've said too much.
“Furious 7” opens everywhere April 3rd.