It is a neat, nitrous oxide powered glamour film

Rating: 8/10 (13 April 2017)

The surprisingly humble beginnings (by comparison) of what is now a six film series, The Fast and the Furious was a hit for bringing a new lease of life to the racing film.
An undercover cop, Brian O'Conner, must discover who is to blame for goods trucks being hi-jacked and stolen by drivers in high performance street cars. He puts himself into the urban culture of street racing where he meets Dominic Toretto and his team. Brian falls for Dominic's sister, Mia, in the process and threatens his investigation and his life.
The film is quite a brainless piece of entertainment, its story is predictable, it follows an undercover cop who starts to sympathize with his targets, and the characters are written spontaneously to fit the demands of the plot. You gotta love the opening dialogue: "I like the tuna here," "Nobody likes the tuna here!" Plus, Paul Walker really is a bland actor.
But, that isn't why we watch the film. The Fast and the Furious does have some great car racing scenes and director Rob Cohen can shoot the cars and make them look great. What is most appealing is the physicality of the stunts and the racing; there's no CGI tomfoolery here, and there is a simplicity about the film that makes it worth watching. You don't need to suspend your disbelief, the plot doesn't shovel many excuses for racing into your face.
It is a neat, nitrous oxide powered glamour film. It doesn't say much, and it will probably age badly over time (and get a remake) but it is a must for every petrol-head and car racing fan out there.