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Created Apr 20, 2009 09:45PM PST • Edited May 27, 2010 10:08PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   With the majority of leads from the original returning. Can the story, rides, and stunts still be Fast & Furious?

   After the major success of the first film, The Fast and The Furious suffered at the hands of 2 horrible and uninteresting sequels. The first film was centered around the “underground” street racing scene, the second revolved around a more “cartoonish” version of street racing and the third movie was completely uncalled for and should’ve just been called “Need for Speed” after the video game franchise considering 85% of the racing scenes were animated. After all of the soundtracks, video game releases, and cheesy automobile accessories, can F & F be the sequel we never got? The answer is a definite yes.

   Vin Diesel is Dominic Toretto, the muscle bound, gear head who has spent his whole life going a quarter mile at a time. Paul Walker is Agent Brian O’Connor, the cop who let the bad guy get away but has had some time to think things over and get on with his life. Set between the time period after the first two films and before the third, Fast & Furious follows Dominic Toretto all the way to the Dominican Republic where he has acquired a new gang of speed demons. Some old faces, some new, Dom’s specialty now is highjacking fuel tankers. After a close call during a job, Toretto learns that the heat is coming on heavy and decides it’s best if he leaves before his crew is taken down because of him. He finds cover in Panama and keeps a low profile conisdering the hot set of wheels he’s cruising (1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS most likely with a 454 V8). Unfortunately he must make his way back to the states upon finding out about a tragic event involving one of his running buddies. Now Dominic Toretto is more hot headed than we’ve ever seen before and he’s leaving a path of mangled gangsters behind him for the FBI to follow…..enter Brian O’Connor. O’Connor and Dom meet again and the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. They soon find out they’re both looking for the same person and while they’re not buddy buddy, they reluctantly decide to work together in order to find their guy. However, the closer they come to finding their man, the more the plot thickens and the higher the stakes become as it comes down to a simple choice for both Brian and Dominic….ride or die?

   This film, in my opinion, could be the entire franchise. The first 3 films combined don’t come close to acheiving the excellence of Fast & Furious. It’s the gripping story, the suprisingly good acting, the stunts, and the fun that we should have been given with the original film.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Considering the cheeseball plots and acting from the last two films, I’ll be the first to admit that I had little to no hope for the acting in Fast & Furious. The actors exceeded my expectations and then some. Vin Diesel in my opinion is a very underestimated actor due to his resume. Yes he is a big, muscular guy so he can take on the macho hero roles of Riddick and XXX but then the movie A Man Apart really showed how broken the man can put on. I look at Vin Diesel as the next generation’s Sylvester Stallone. He’ll get stuck with hundreds of schlock roles due to his appearance but he will have his breakthrough part in which he’ll gain the proper respect and noteriety he deserves. Diesel’s co-star on the other hand, I’m not so sure about.

   I have never really been a fan of Paul Walker. He’s just one of those guys I see on screen and say “God someone shoot him please!” I find him trying too hard to be “cool” and play the “trend” in his films and it does nothing but annoy this reviewer. From Joyride to the original The Fast and The Furious, I have only seen one movie in which Paul Walker actually convinced me and pulled me into the film and that was Running Scared. As for his performance in Fast & Furious, it is a huge improvement considering his “wiggerish” portrayals from the first two movies. He’s actually likable and can carry scenes when he’s the only lead on camera but when Diesel is in the same frame, all eyes are on Vin.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    I had problems with the entire franchise prior to F & F because I’m not a fan of import cars/rice burners/tuners whatever you wish to call them. I’m an old school Ford guy but I appreciate seeing any kind of American Muscle on film. The first film had only the big bad Dodge Charger at the end which wrecks tear shed. Then the second film boasted a scene in which a Yenko Camaro and a Hemi Dodge Challenger were outraced by a Mistsubishi Lancer and Eclipse. First off, no man in his right mind that can afford a Yenko Camaro and Hemi Challenger is going to race them illegally. If he was driving a Ford Maverick or a plain Jane Mustang, perhaps, but not a car that is 1 of a few thousand and is one of the most collectible muscle cars of all time. Second, the way the race transpired was so ridiculous and unreal that I found myself very much tempted to turn off the film. As for the third movie, it started out with a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (heavily modified) dueling it out with a Dodge Viper. The race was awesome and I wish the rest of the film could have been just as entertaining but it wasn’t. Then in the finale, the drifting junkies drop a Nissan powerplant in a 1968 Mustang fastback……WHAT?! That sent me over the edge….what a disgrace! At any rate, I was so sick of seeing Hondas with tons of stickers and bright colors flying around on screen, I wanted muscle. Big, throaty, simple, balls to the wall Detroit power and praise the car Gods and the production studio because we have numerous American rides in Fast & Furious. Ford Gran Torino, Chevy Chevelle, Dodge Charger, Buick Grand National, the list goes on. It was also really great to see that even the import cars were toned down a bit to seem more realistic in this movie. Not every car was a $60,000 machine with meaningless stickers slapped all over them. The cars weren’t driven billboards, they were cars. Another great thing about the cars, was seeing them drive and being pushed to the limits.

    The stunts were above average with mild use of CGI animations making for a white knuckle driving experience that you will thoroughly enjoy. Ranging from “WHOA” to “was that really necessary?”, all of the stunts are fairly impressive and may leave a few jaws on the floor by the end credits. Both the direction and dialogue flowed smoothly proving Fast & Furious to be a well oiled machine. No instances of boredom, no points in which you’re wondering about something else other than the film in front of you. Once it starts, you’re glued. Unless you’re not a car guy….or gal.

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.0

    The story can be cold at times and a little harsh but it is not to the point of being offensive or vulgar. The club scenes for the street racers are not as sleazy as seen in the previous movies and the violence is at a minimum but it does it’s job very well. Instead of boobs leaking out of bras, and meaningless explosions out the colon, Fast & Furious is done in good taste and considering the good story, maybe even a hint of class.

17. Sex Innocent 1.5

18. Violence Fierce 2.5

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

21. Reality

    Surreal 3.0

    Of all the films seen thus far in The Fast and The Furious franchise, this is the closest to achieving a realistic tone and plot. Doesn’t exactly mean it could happen though.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 3.0

23. Biological Surreal 3.0

24. Physical Surreal 3.0