A Thrilling Joyride!

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2001)

The Fast and the Furious is a thrilling joyride of a movie that's full of spark and vigor, even if the script is full of cliches. The movie (and it's title) is kind of a throwback those 1950's exploitation flicks that where shown in a double or triple feature (along with cartoons) in a neighborhood theatre. The movie deals with L.A. street racers and an undercover cop who's investigating the leader of this group of racers who may be involved in a string of highway truck robberies. The plot has been rehashed from other films, but it's the action that really get your attention to the point that you could really care less about the plot. It gives you everything you could ask for in a popcorn summer flick. I was pleasantly surprised.
Another thing that surprised me was how good the acting is in this movie. The young cast of Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Michelle Rodriguez do a fine job, but the real star of the movie is Vin Diesel. With his steely gaze and Lee Marvin-like voice, Diesel has a mixture of machismo and vulnerability that commands attention. He is an actor to watch.