An unexpected surprise

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2001)

"The Fast and the Furious" is a movie that surprised me big time because I didn't think I would like it. It didn't look all that great when I saw the previews of it, and I was dreading that I would have a miserable time watching it when some friends talked me into seeing the film with them. By the end of it, I was incredibly surprised at how much I liked this movie. It's not one of the best movies ever made, but it kept me interested from start to finish. "The Fast and the Furious" is about drag racing in L.A., and focuses on a young undercover cop who falls into a group of professional drag racers who just might be the same ones who've been participating in a series of truck hijackings. The young cop tries to get to the bottom of this by becoming close friends with the leader of this group. Here for once is a movie that features car races and chases with the use of real cars, not special effects. It's at its best when the action takes place behind the wheel, and these scenes keep you on the edge. Plus, it has a story that works because it's interesting. Paul Walker (as the cop) and Vin Diesel (as the group leader) are given good material to work with, and both actors play their characters well. You get to know these two guys, and you can't help but wonder what's going to happen to them in the end. That makes "The Fast and the Furious" an even better film. Good acting, good story, and good action make this film a surprise winner.
*** (out of four)