The Silly and the Ridiculous.

Rating: Null/10 (11 July 2003)

Completely empty and annoying flick made primarily for teenage boys and men who never totally grow up. "The Fast and the Furious" is a headache waiting to happen as undercover cop Paul Walker starts to rub shoulders with a Los Angeles street gang led by Vin Diesel (who has about as much acting ability as a cardboard cut-out). Diesel and his gang (which includes younger sister Jordana Brewster and girlfriend Michelle Rodriguez) are road pirates who hijack trucks in California and Arizona. They go after electronics equipment that they can sell to other street gangs around the city. So many missed opportunities hurt "The Fast and the Furious". There is a possible bond between Diesel and Walker ala that of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in "Heat", but that never does get much time because the film-makers are too busy showing off hot cars and hotter women. The movie is totally void of intelligence and its heart is as black as tar. As loud and as flashy as the production makes itself out to be, it is still amazing that in the end "The Fast the Furious" is really a somewhat boring experience. Rapper Ja Rule does the music here and makes a short cameo as a street racer who has the need for speed. 2 stars out of 5.