Review of The Fast and the Furious (2001) by Paul F — 20 Jul 2015

"I live my life a quarter mile at a time. During those ten seconds or less, I'm free". This was probably the most meaningful line in The Fast and The Furious- A film that seems to display a good grasp of the illegal street racing culture, but struggles in building a sensible story around it.

The plot is about a cop who is sent undercover into the street racing world to find those responsible for a series of truck hijackings. These heists are one of a kind -involving three sedans, they driving alongside a speeding truck, while one of the thieves jump onto its hood using a harness, steel cables, and a grappling hook. The practicality in this method is questionable. But so are many parts of the film that seem to throttle forward carelessly, and capitalize instead on its incredible stunt work, done mostly without CGI-the way many of us prefer it nowadays.

The vehicular action is expertly choreographed and creatively filmed. Cars are shown emitting flames through their tail pipes. Intake manifolds are zoomed into as they are sprayed with nitrous oxide. And Engines roar at high volumes to turn up the thrills. Overall, there is a terrific sense of speed and sound.

As for characters with depth, it is rare to find any in a film like this. But Vin Diesel, who stars as the villain, Toretto, manages to create one. With charisma, intimidation, and sympathy, not only does he drive the cars but the entire film as well.

Otherwise, The Fast and the Furious is a movie that exists to serve vehicular excitement and adrenalized stunts. The film knows this and for us to seek anything more would really mean a wrong turn.