Review: Fast & Furious (2009)

Director: Justin Lin (Annapolis, The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift)

Cast: Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious, xXx), Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious, Eight Below), Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious, As the World Turns), Michelle Rodriguez (The Fast and the Furious, Lost), John Ortiz (Carlito's Way, The Job), Laz Alonso (Miracle at St. Anna, Stomp the Yard), Gal Gadot, Shea Whigham (Pride and Glory), Liza Lapira (21, Dexter)

The Deal: When Letty (Rodriguez) is murdered, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O'Connor (Walker) cross paths and reignite their feud from years before, but as the two realize their enemy is the same, they must work together and trust each other once again. With the murderer working on a crew for a man called Brada, the two must race through the streets to prove they can really drive in hopes of Brada taking them on for a job, bringing them closer to revenge.

Thoughts: I'm going to be quite frank, the first film of the franchise was only decent, and the last two were quite terrible, so I really saw no way this could be very good. Surprisingly, with most of the original characters back, and a story that is actually interesting and not just crazy car races, Fast & Furious is just as good, maybe even better than its best predecessor. This isn't an amazing film by any means, but it's entertaining from the beginning on and the familiar characters allow the audience to actually care about their success and well being.

For a film comprised of actors and actresses that for the most part never turn in a great performance, this is one of the few types of films they all work well for. Diesel is like a blunt object, but it's perfect for in-and-out-of-jail Dom Toretto. Walker is a pretty boy and that's what he plays here. Rodriguez's character is described as a "20% angle, 80% devil, down to Earth, ain't afraid to get a little engine grease under her fingernails" kind of girl. Could there really be a better choice than her? Brewster is easily the best of the bunch, and she plays innocent-but-not-really sister of Dom. She's a good fit with the role and the rest of the cast.

Easily the most exciting (though also most unrealistic) scene occurs in the opening sequence. As most of the trailers tended to include bits from this, it's the highway scene where a few heavy duty pickup trucks try to hijack a few trailers of gas while traveling 65 mph. It's cool to watch, and though it's no surprise that the gas tanker will eventually end up exploding, it's by far the most pleasing scene of the film. It's very reminiscent of the type of heists they pulled in the first film, which may be a large contributing factor to why it's so enjoyable.

Verdict: Though far from a great film, it's as good as the first film of the franchise, maybe even better. The acting isn't anything special, but that's to be expected, and it proves entertaining most of the time. ☆☆☆1/2

Liked It? Try These: The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift (2006)