Okay, so as promised, here is my more thorough review I posted on Orlando United (sorry for some obvious points for you Hollywood regulars)
*SPOILERS*
For starters, this isn't a ride, so much as a segment or bookending to the Studio Tour. I'm sure most of you know that already, but I feel like Universal is truly mis-marketing this.
Yes, okay, I get it. They did the same thing for Kong 360 3-D. However, that ride implemented new technology never seen before on a theme park attraction. Despite the 90 second length, it at least was NEW. The issue with Fast and Furious is that nothing about this is revolutionary like Kong. The entire thing screams of a rush job and I'm not surprised Teebin's comments have suggested this.
So as for the experienece...The entire attraction feels oddly placed and is somewhat disorienting. Both times I rode it, the tram guides had never been through the attraction before (and no, that's not just something they said, one guy actually apologized for not knowing the script). It made the attraction already seem like a quick turnaround for the park to build revenue and attendance. Now, to be fair, there are lengthy videos that are supposed to play in different sections throughout the tour to explain the ride's story. When we went on, they played them all quickly in secession, so something was definitely lost in translation and maybe the guide's couldn't script it because it normally would be implemented more naturally in certain stops of the tour (for example, one stop is supposed to have Vin's Charger on the lot).
I really wish I could say the pre-show saves the awkward introductions, but it only gets worse from there. Quite frankly, the only impressive piece of the pre-show is the first of three showrooms, which is supposed to kind of be like Tej’s garage (despite his notable exclusion from the ride). The set decorations are pretty awesome and it gave me some initial optimism. Then Tyrese and Michelle showed up on the screens in the tram with some of the worst dialogue (if not the worst) in the entire park. Tyrese hits on some girl in the 3rd row (in my first ridethrough, it was a grandma) becoming what is sure to be one of the most infamous lines in Universal Park history and Michelle looks completely awkward in her entire delivery.
The next room’s musion effects are hit and miss. I watched them without my glasses the first time around and it seemed super 2-D. The second time, I put my glasses on and somehow it made it more believable. Overall though, the acting from everyone is bad. The dialogue is stilted and the story isn’t conveyed in a very compelling or coherent way. It’s a lot like Star Tours, “special person” is on board car, must protect them.
The ride’s enjoyment factor is also extremely contingent on where you sit! I sat in the middle of the first car of the tram and the entire ride was a complete mess. I could hardly tell what was going on since a majority of the action happens between the 2nd and 3rd cars (the trams are 4 cars long). On my second ridethrough, I was in the third car and it was much easier to see what was happening. Regardless, the ride has too much going on. Yes, I understand the appeal is that you can look to your left or right and see different things on each ridethrough, but where Kong leaves you in wonder and suspense of where the dinosaurs will attack, this just feels like you are being pushed by different cars the entire time. There isn’t a big moment like the last car being pulled off the edge of the cliff in Kong, and the cars don’t move as much either. It feels lackluster in every regard. The CGI is pretty bad (though not nearly as bad as the video’s suggest). The biggest issue is that it wasn’t set at night. Would have cleared up a lot of issues with rendering and effects. Oh, and speaking of effects, there aren’t enough, and when there are, they aren’t even used correctly! Shaw has a flamethrower with no heat effect, yet at the conclusion of the ride when everything is blowing up, we get sprayed with buckets of water.
Okay, so it seems like I hated it right? No, not completely. It is a disappointment for sure, but the reason I’m not mad is because this is just a part of a Studio Tour we already ride anyway. It didn’t replace a beloved attraction, and it isn’t something we would have to wait for to ride. It is just an add-on. It is a disappointment because of the massive hype, but it isn’t hurting anyone. If anything, it just sucks that this will be the last thing people will see on the ride. Originally, ending on War of the Worlds was the best, leaving a total awe across the tram. Now, people will leave with a potential sigh.