As predictable as an atomic oscillation frequency.

Rating: Null/10 (16 July 2001)

This is a formula movie, and the result is as predictable as an atomic oscillation frequency, but hey, it works! Basically, there's these really cool street racer dudes who may or may not be involved in stealing electronic equipment by using souped up Honda Civics to hijack trucks. In their spare time, they street race for pink slips in highly modified hot rods. Did I just hear a Beach Boys tune?
Well, there's a newcomer to the group, and the bad boys don't know if he can be trusted. To make matters worse, he falls for the gang leader's sister. Wait a minute! What if he had to decide where his loyalties lay? Wouldn't that be cool? Oh yes, and there's a really mean guy who doesn't like the new guy, and makes it a point to find out if he has a deep dark secret. Wow, I wonder where that story might go!
Vin Diesel is terrific as the gang leader. His star power and charisma are much too big for this tawdry little epic. And just between us, he's not very well cast as the stoic bad guy. There's more depth there than that, and this film, and his previous films, have yet to mine it. I think he has the potential to fill the void left by the aging of such heavyweights as Sylvester Stalone and Bruce Willis, neither of whom, you may remember, were exactly Laurence Olivier in the beginning, but who became fine actors with time. Similarly, Diesel has yet to find his stride, but I'm betting it'll be huge!