Review of Fast & Furious (2009) by Seth S — 12 Oct 2013

I was expecting absolutely nothing from this movie. Out of all 6 movies, this one did the worst with critics. And this is coming from the series that brought you 2 Fast 2 Furious. I didn't know anything of the story before I watched it, so I came in with no expectations and no idea what the movie was about. Much to my surprise, I actually found a lot to like in this movie. It feels like the first real sequel to The Fast and the Furious, and that is a good thing. Justin Lin doesn't create a great movie with Fast & Furious, but he does create an entertaining one that actually continues the story in a meaningful way.

We are finally reintroduced to Dom Toretto and his crew of vehicle hijackers in a thrilling opening action scene. After a failed attempt seize a fuel tanker and with their trail becoming increasingly hot, the team decides to split up. Dom's girlfriend Letty wants to stick it out with Dom, even if their life together would be dangerous. Dom has different ideas and leaves Letty for her own safety. Weeks later, Dom receives a call from his sister Mia. Letty has been killed by a drug lord named Braga. Dom returns to Los Angeles to avenge Letty. But he needs help to bring down Braga, and that help comes in the form of Brian O'Conner. After the events of the first movie, O'Connor and Toretto split ways. Now they are reunited against a common enemy on a simple mission of revenge.

It's great to have Vin Diesel back in the driver's seat as Dom Toretto. He really is the face of the franchise, but he was almost completely left out of 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift. He finally returns for this 4th installment, and his return is welcome. Dom is a menacing action hero, and he is given the right motives in this movie. And while Diesel still isn't an expert with dramatic scenes, he does make Dom an easy character to root for.

Paul Walker also returns for his 3rd outing as Brian O'Conner. The character definitely has matured in the time between the second movie and the fourth. It feels like Brian has started to accept more responsibility, but he still has his unexpected, madcap streak. Walker is given more to work with this time around, and his scenes with Diesel pop a lot more than anything from the second movie.

The supporting cast is mixed. Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez return with very good performances. The villains in the movie are all played over-the-top and none of them make an impression. If anything, they're more laughable then actually scary. John Ortiz is especially bad in the ending action scene, spouting off poorly delivered, horrible taunts.

Justin Lin takes the action in a new direction. Fast & Furious is the beginning of the turn from a series with mostly street racing to a straight action series. I think there is only one street race in the entire movie. The opening action scene sets the tone. It's a well shot, well thought out scene that feels different from anything we've seen the last few movies. The one street race is also well choreographed. The worst action scene comes at the end. It's a chase through some tunnels inside a mountain. It's pretty senseless stuff basically consisting of a wall of noise and jumbled visuals.

All in all, Fast & Furious is the start of the franchise's "new direction." It's not great by any means, but it does continue the story set out in the first movie. The narrative is a simple revenge story, which makes the movie somewhat forgettable. It somehow manages to crank up the Testosterone after three already muscle-bound entries. It also provides good ground work that the 5th, 6th, and 7th movies eventually build off of. On a whole, this movie succeeds at what it set out to do.

"You asked me why I let Dom go. I did it, because at that moment, I respected him more than I did myself." 6/10.