Today’s quick review: The Fast and the Furious. Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) is an undercover cop assigned to infiltrate Dom Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) street racing gang. Toretto and his gang are suspected of perpetrating a series of daring highway robberies using skills honed in the underground racing circuit. But as Brian gets drawn into the life of a street racer, he begins to doubt where his loyalties lie.
The Fast and the Furious is a racing-based action movie and the first entry in the Fast & Furious franchise. The Fast and the Furious offers a decent lead plot, a strong lead duo, and some impressive driving. The film portrays a glamorous world of illegal racing, where muscle cars meet dangerous races and high-stakes gambling. The tone is polished, consistent, and fitting for an action movie, while the races inject the film with a bit of adrenaline.
Paul Walker and Vin Diesel play off each other well, with Paul Walker as an up-and-coming street racer with a secret agenda and Vin Diesel as the racing kingpin who takes him under his wing. Walker plays a resourceful, well-intentioned Brian O’Conner who finds himself genuinely drawn to his cover life. Diesel fits naturally into the tough, loyal role of Dom Toretto, leaving his imprint on the world around him without having to carry the film by himself.
Watch The Fast and the Furious if you are looking for an easy, satisfying bit of action. The racing appeals even to those with no particular interest in cars, and the world and characters are strong enough to make the film feel cohesive if not outstanding. Skip The Fast and the Furious if you are looking for a more substantive plot or if you prefer an action movie with combat rather than racing.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a good balance of action, plot, and characters.