Review of The Fast and the Furious (2001) by Dylan D — 17 May 2015

A surprisingly wonderful movie that realizes that fast cars alone do not make a story, The Fast and the Furious sets the bar for the franchise at a lofty height, an elevation none of the subsequent three films have been able to attain.

Whereas Hollywood so often leaves good storytelling at the door in movies such as this, banking on flashy special effects, fast cars, and girls in revealing outfits to sell tickets, Rob Cohen's The Fast and the Furious does incorporate those traits but also builds a cohesive, rather smart, and wholly engaging backstory that lends importance to the racing and, far more importantly, builds its characters to levels often reserved for upper-echelon Dramas.

Therein lies the success of The Fast and the Furious; the film takes itself seriously while still existing in a fun, inviting environment, and it expertly meshes the two distinct worlds in ways few other films have.