Review of The Fast and the Furious (2001) by Mitchell B — 05 May 2013

Fast and the Furious is one of the best examples of vicarious entertainment in the movie industry. Anyone who likes action, nice cars, racing, women etc. will find enjoyment from this movie and this franchise in one way or another. This film is a basic popcorn flic. There is not deep plot or deep characters here. So people looking for those elements in this film will be disappointed. However, most people probably knew not to expect such elements from a movie like this anyway, from the title to the trailers. I knew what I was getting when I watched this. So I enjoyed this film mostly.

The characters are not great, though the characters are not what people are looking for in this movie anyway. The film stars Brian O'Conner, played by Paul Walker, who is an FBI agent. He is investigating hijackings caused by a street gang being led by Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel. Paul Walker does fine overall in the film. His character I rooted for. However, I do not by for one second that this guy is an FBI agent. Nothing about his character makes be believe he would qualify for the FBI. When he tries to sound professional, it's not believable.

Vin Diesel goes good in the film as well. I am a fan of Vin Diesel as an actor. He is one of my favorite aspects of the film. Michelle Rodriguez is also in the film, but does not have that much to do. The side cast are fine. I did not really care for them, but I never found them annoying.

The action and racing is the highlight of the film and it's done well. The races are fun, and the action ( mainly car chases) will have you at the edge of your seat.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. It's not a deep movie, but it's not supposed to be. It's a popcorn flick meant to appeal to guys, and especially teenage guys. That's why I call it vicarious entertainment. Every guy secretly dreams about being an action hero, driving a nice car, getting all the women. So many guys secretly would envision themselves as Paul Walker or Vin Diesel's character, or one of the other character in the film. That's why I say this is vicarious entertainment.