A Guilty Pleasure Movie at its Finest

Rating: 7/10 (4 April 2017)

16 years and 7 films ago the Fast & Furious franchise wasn't the worldwide phenomena that it is now. It was once a cheesy Point Break rip-off that took itself way too seriously. But you know what, it was a darn good guilty pleasure movie. That's for sure.
A lot has changed over the years in the series, but the one constant has always been that the films are about family. For all its faults, no one can deny how well this film does the family angle. It's not the best acting, writing, or directing, but you care enough about the characters to where you believe the motivations behind characters' actions regarding family. But let's talk about how ridiculous, stupid, and fun this movie is.
They drive their cars (successfully) underneath semi-trucks several times throughout the film. So much so that when I was younger I believed it was possible. That word, "possible", will be used sparingly through the course of this film and the entire series. Where Furious 7 pushes the boundaries of reality by driving cars via one building to the next, The Fast and the Furious provides the unbelievable through street car races with seemingly a few hundred people. In the middle of the night, that is. Oh and those hundreds of people each have their own car and parking spot, that is. But that won't be the last time the film could have you roll your eyes.
In fact, it's way easier to watch this film now that I've seen every installment to date. This film is extremely dated, but it's an interesting watch, especially considering where the series has gone to now. There's an underground motorcycle gang who steals DVD players and stashes them in a Thai-food restaurant. The climax of the film begins at an event called Race Wars. Creative huh? At one point, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) tells someone to back off or she will scar her face with tire tracks. I guess my point is, if you don't accept the film for what it is, I don't think you'll have any fun with it.
The real joy of this film comes by its goofiest and most outlandish moments, but also with its impressive stunts and action. In camera stunts may be this franchise's finest assets, and the last highway heist in this film is a thing of beauty. Yes, the film gets bogged down by a really dated and contrived script, but there's so much undeniable fun to be had here. A guilty pleasure movie at its best
+Stunts/action
+All about family
+Ridiculously goofy/fun
-Horrible script, and passable acting
-Takes itself a little too serious at times
7.5/10