The Fast and the Furious

Every summer a film comes around that takes everyone by surprise. Last year it was Scary Movie and I'm sure in 1977 it was a film like Star Wars and then in 1981 it was Raiders of the Lost Ark. Now I am not saying that The Fast and the Furious is in the same class as Raiders and Star Wars, just that it surprised everyone on the same level. F&F is short on plot and dialogue and even some of the acting is lame, but what it is oozes is testosterone. It pumps your blood, increases your adrenaline and attacks you with fast cars, sexy women and that one invariable that I think it has going for it... Vin Diesel. There is just something about the guy, something that you really can't put your finger on, but he just has it. Maybe it is charisma, maybe it is charm, maybe it is just that he resembles some of the action heroes from the 80's with his chiseled triceps and his slabs of pecs. Maybe it is all those things and maybe it is none of those things, all I know is that F&F is exactly what I had hoped it would be and nothing more. This is the summer movie that I have been waiting for. It's not that the films that have been out so far aren't that great because some of them are, it's just that this is the one that epitomises what summer as a teen ager is all about. It is no wonder that exit polls for this film were around 65-70% under the age of 21. And maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much. I am pushing 30 but isn't it cool to lose yourself in a film that reminds you what it was like to be in highschool. And isn't it cool to watch street racers break 140 miles an hour wile they shoot NOS through their vehicles? Well isn't it?

F&F doesn't contain any machinations similar to a film like Mission Impossible and it doesn't dazzle us with special effects of impending doom like Armageddon did, but it takes us into a world where people live life "a quarter of a mile at a time."

Vin Diesel plays Dominic Toretto, a massive, bald mechanic that owns a garage but street races on the side to make some extra cash. Paul Walker ( The Skulls, Varsity Blues) plays Brian Spindler. He is a cop that has infiltrated the street gang to find out who is highjacking trucks and stealing all their merchandise. There are about four rival street gangs in L.A. and one of them is pulling this off. He has to figure out which one. Of course along the way he seduced by the life, but that is not what we really care about. All we want to see is lots of racing, a few crashes, some fights and some sex. F&F doesn't disappoint. If what you have seen in the trailers of the film excites and entices you, then you know exactly what you're in for. This is not going to win any Oscars for anything but what it will do is entertain you. It will expedite you for 90 minutes into a world where Honda's are souped up to look like Dragons and junkyard scraps are rebuilt from scratch to be better than they were before, better, stronger and faster. If this film appealed to you in the commercial, it will appeal to you on the screen.

And of course there is Vin Diesel. He first made a name for himself in Saving Private Ryan where he played Capparrzo. Then he jumped onto the scene with his excellent and grandiose turn as Riddick in Pitch Black. I think this is the film that got him noticed because no one had even heard of him before this. Then he did Boiler Room and he showed a different side to him. But F&F is all muscle and sheer bravado. I think Vin is going to do great things in the years to come. He is not a nobody anymore. This film will take care of that. And face it, isn't it cool to see the genesis of a new action hero?

8 out of 10- The ultimate summer rush!

Is it cheesy ? Definitely. Is it corny ? Oh ya. Did anyone deserve an Oscar? What do you think.

Is it a cultural icon that has had a decades long lasting impact on pop culture worth your time ? ABSOLUTELY.

Back in 2001 this movie was the next big thing. Everyone wanted a graphic'd out rice burner to drive around town in pretending they street raced.

Everyone wanted a Mia or Letty. Everyone wanted to have Dom's muscles and Brian's hair.

There's not enough to say about how this movie changed everyone in 2001. Just watch it yourself and put yourself in the mindset of 2001.

Today I saw Tokyo drift and yesterday I saw 2 fast 2 furious for the fifth time, but I still find myself drawn toward the original. It stars Paul Walker as an undercover cop who infiltrates the street racing underworld of LA to catch a crook who has been hijacking millions of dollars worth of electronics from 18wheelers, causing the truckers to take matters into their own hands, ultimately ending in deaths and multitudes of money stolen. Now, you would think that because of the semi weak plot, this movie wouldn't be that good, however, the main storyline is just a small part of this movie, the other elements being action and some interesting relationships regarding vin diesels character. Diesel plays a street racing god, one of the best in the LA scene. Walkers character, Brians, way into the world is through Dominic Toretto (Diesel). Toretto has an air about him which draws other in, and Brian is no different. Throughout the movie, Brian is getting to know Dom, earning his trust, etc, but at the end of the movie, both Dom and Brian are forced to make a decision about each other... The whole relationship is interesting to watch. As for the action, there is plenty of it. Besides the many races, there is also some gunplay and some hand to hand fighting, and some interesting hijacking sequences.

All in all the cars are hot, the girls are hotter, the cars are fast, the guns are loaded, and for the more serious, the relationship between Dom, Mia, Vince, Letty, and the others is amazing.

If you haven't seen this movie, rent it tonight

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) leads a group of friends and family to street race in the LA night. Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) is a cop working undercover to infiltrate his gang of suspected truck robberies. However he finds himself falling under Dominic's charisma and for Dominic's sister Mia (Jordana Brewster).

There is a lot of silly action, and unrealistic story lines. This is purely style winning over substance. The cars look cool and babes look hot. But it's the Vin Diesel presence and Paul Walker pretty boy looks that provide the heart of this movie. The boys have amazing chemistry and the gang feels like a real family. The story is almost unnecessary.

What makes this film so great? One of the many questions you find asking yourself as soon as you pick up the DVD or Video of this film. Well firstly before you dare to watch this film you must be one of these three types of people to be able to sit and watch this film (in my opinion) 1)A person who knows fast cars, 2)A person who likes to see these cars, and 3)A person who knows why you race them.

If you aren't one of these people and just want to watch Vin and Paul in action then I'm afraid to tell you that you won't do this film any justice (although they are great in this film). I believe that the character that Vin plays was made for him and so was Pauls' character. Vin already has the style, the mood of Dominic Tretto (we have seen this in XXX) i personally couldn't have picked a better actor for the job for no one could pull it off like what Vin does. As for Paul i think it's great that they have used a so-called "tall, lean, blonde pretty-boy" for the part of Brian O'Conner because it brings out the fact that he is an under-cover cop. He's new in the field, it's his first mission and therefore he needs to look it too. We see his character evolve in the second film, which is also truly brilliant. So from me i think that the film should be at least rated at a 7 or 8 out of 10 even though the story does seem to drag on for awhile it is still a pretty good film and i hope you will agree. So from me watch this film and enjoy it too.