Can You Say "Point Break?"

Rating: Null/10 (30 September 2002)

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS WITHIN*
The Fast and the Furious (2001) is another run-of-the-mill crash-bang action car chase flick. I went into the cinema expecting that, and that is exactly what I got.
The story revolves around Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), or 'Brian Earl Spilner,' as he calls himself when he goes undercover, a rookie cop who races cars and works for The Racer's Edge, an auto parts store, who is infiltrating a street racing gang lead by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), who are under suspicion for hijacking tracks containing DVD players, television sets and other electronics. When he gets to know the group more, he learns a lot of lessons from Dom about Life, and car racing, such as, "It doesn't matter whether you win by an inch or a mile. Winning is winning." He also discovers that Dominic and everyone else are too calm and collected to hijack trucks, and that it may be being done by a group of Chinese street bikers lead by Johnny Tran (Rick Yune), who's sister Dominic made the mistake of sleeping with. As Brian gets more and more attached and drawn into Dom's world, he throws a spanner in the works when he falls in love with Dom's sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). Soon, they are all suspicious of Brian being a cop, and he must choose where his loyalties lie.
This film has some pretty impressive car chase and race scenes, but is clearly following the same plot outline as Point Break (1991), but using car racing instead of surfing, and both the films star two young male actors as rookie cops (although Keanu Reeves is getting older now).

But even so, The Fast and the Furious was an enjoyable film for me. If you're looking for a little bit of entertainment where you don't have to use your brain too much, and love car chases and action, then this film is for you. I think that it is more for the younger generation, and if you talk to the older generation about car chase and race sequences, then the film Bullitt (1968) is sure to come up, starring the late, great Steve McQueen, who starred in other such great movies as The Great Escape (1963), and The Getaway (1972), and who tragically died on 7 November, 1980, of lung cancer. The Fast and the Furious was a good movie, with some kick-ass action, but if you want to see one of the first great car chase films, rent Bullitt, as it is by far one of the best of that ilk.
Beau's Rating: *** 1/2 out of *****