I might be in the minority here, but I like the movie Torque.
Yes, it was silly, the plot was a rip-off of a rip-off, the acting was whatever, and had a very 2000s vibe, as did the CGI. But on the whole, it was enjoyable in the same way that the original and second Fast and the Furious films were.
And that was the point.
See, Torque was meant to kick off a F&F-style franchise but instead of one based around cars, tuning, heists, and spy things, it’d be about motorcycles and tuning, heists, and spy things. It was the sort of cheesy action film setup that dominated at the time and the sort that kicked F&F into the billion-dollar franchise it is today.
It didn’t work, but I can’t figure out why.
Torque made all the same moves that F&F did. It even used F&F actor Matt Schulze as one of the main villains. Adam Scott from Parks and Rec was the other and he chews the scenery as a good villain should. Plus you had Ice Cube, Martin Henderson, Jamie Pressley, Jay Hernandez, and Faizon Love.
But it had all the hallmarks of something that could turn into something bigger and cooler, just like F&F did over its now 20+ years at the box office. You had neat machines, likable characters played by both known and unknown actors, wild action with some solid stuntwork, a great soundtrack (Jane's Addiction, Hoobastank, NERD, MxPx, Static X, and Kid Rock before he lost his mind and shot up a case a beer), and an easy way for folks who weren't bike nerds to get into the space just as F&F did a few years prior.
It was even produced by the same folks as F&F, xXx, and SWAT.
And the movie introduced many to the turbine-powered MTT-Y2k motorcycle, a bike I've wanted to ride since seeing Torque in theaters. They apparently still make them, too, so maybe I'll get my chance one day. Fingers crossed.
And Torque was way better than Biker Boyz.
But it flopped. On a budget of $40 million, it made $46 million globally, and that was bad enough for the studio to do away with any idea of making it a series. Plus, critics weren't exactly kind to the movie, but they also shat on F&F, so that wouldn't have necessarily killed the franchise had it made money.
Whenever the movie randomly pops into my head, I'm always left wondering what the motorcycling world would look like had Torque been a success. Fast and the Furious has repeatedly changed the car scene over the years and influenced several generations of fans. How would've Torque changed the motorcycling community had it worked out?
It's an impossible question to answer, but one that's interesting to think about. Maybe there's now room for a new motorcycle movie? The Bike Riders is coming out, but that's less Fast and the Furious, more Oscar drama.
Anyways, go watch Torque, it's more fun than you remember. I promise.
