"The Fast and the Furious"- While the sequels have gotten better and better, the original feels a bit dated and "safe." Fun, but not as entertaining as future installments.

Rating: 6/10 (9 April 2017)

The interesting thing about the long-running "Fast and Furious" franchise is that series fans seem to fall into one of two camps. Those who feel that the series started off decent but has gotten progressively better with each passing sequel. Especially as they take themselves less seriously and simply aim to entertain their audience more and more with increasingly insane and physics-defying action. And those who far prefer the earlier and slightly tamer installments for their slightly more grounded realism. And they tend to lament the fact that the later sequels have gone in an increasingly unrealistic and over- the-top direction. And as a result, I feel I must warn certain audience members... I'm most certainly in the former of those two groupings.
Yes, I am somewhat sorry to say that to me, the franchise as a whole really didn't start picking up steam until about the third or fourth chapter. While by no means terrible, the earlier films haven't aged particularly well at all, and feel quite... docile and bland. Even the subject of this review- the original 2001 release from director Rob Cohen. It's a standard story and spends so much time on a plot ripped straight from "Point Break" (only substituting cars instead of surf-boards), that it doesn't really entertain to the same wild extent that later installments eventually reached.
The film follows detective Brian O'Connor (the late Paul Walker), as he goes undercover to infiltrate the underground world of illegal street racing in Los Angeles. O'Connor and his superiors suspect that the same men and women who hold these illegal events are also responsible for a string of crimes throughout the city. He eventually forms a sort-of friendship with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), one of the most famed of the underground racers. O'Connors conflicted feelings about whether or not to bust him are further complicated when he starts to fall for Dominic's younger sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), and eventually his investigation will lead to a complex and wild finale through the streets of LA.
The highlights here are the wonderful and at-the-time relatively unknown cast and the high-octane action that crops up here and there. This is the film that really put Vin Diesel and the others on the map. Everyone gives it their all, and everyone comes across very likable and endlessly cool in the film. Especially Diesel and Walker, who both shot to stardom in the months following the film's release. I also really liked Michelle Rodriguez, who plays a supporting role as Letty, Domonic's girlfriend. She has that tough- yet-sexy appeal and works really well in the film. Brewster and fellow co-stars like Rick Yune and Chad Lindberg similarly do admirable jobs. On the whole, just a great, fun cast.
Director Rob Cohen, fresh off of a string of 90's hits including "Dragonheart" and "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story", does a phenomenal job handling the action and adventure with his kinetic camera-work and unique use of color and saturation. Say what you will about the mixed quality of the films he's made- the man can make a thrilling sequence. You really feel the speed in the races and each crash hits you right in the gut. This is amongst his best work as a visual storyteller, and he delivers the action full-throttle. When the film goes into full- blown carnage, it works marvelously.
Unfortunately, the film falters quite a bit thanks to the aforementioned stock-screen writing and for being a bit too dated when viewed in comparison to the rest of the series. For all intents and purposes, there's not a lot going on "under the hood" here. Every twist and turn is telegraphed from a mile away, characters fall into broad and undeveloped clichés (usually given a single "quirk" to define them, which is lazy screen writing 101), and you'll know how it ends pretty much immediately. It takes away a lot of the experience. The fact that the film is also basically a photocopy of the superior "Point Break" is also distracting at times and can occasionally lead to a lot of unintended giggles. In addition, this film feels very much a product of its time. This has "Extreme 2001 movie!" written all over it. From the music to the editing to even the slang used in conversation... the film is dated to the point it even occasionally feels a bit cringe- worthy.
Still, I don't think it's a bad movie. Just a troubled one. And I do think it is still most certainly worth seeking out, especially as a prerequisite to viewing the entire series. It sets up a lot of characters and context that are expanded on in later films, and there's a lot of fun to be had with the great performances and top-notch action. For my money... It's one of the weaker "Fast & Furious" films. But it's still a "Fast & Furious" film through-and-through. And I say give it a shot.
I give it an about-average 6 out of 10.