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Member since:08.03.2001
Reviews:254
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For a movie about the illegal world of street racing and daring car-assisted hijacks, there isn’t as much vroom vroom action as I was expecting in this, Rob Cohen’s seventh directorial adventure (his other efforts including Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and The Skulls).
The movie opens with a slick truck theft, using a few fast cars and a harpoon, which sets the tone nicely for the daredevil action to follow. What it doesn’t do is let you in on who the perpetrators are, leaving a little mystery, which is quite often lacking from robbery scenes. No ripping off the balaclava and seeing the lead criminal go “Phew! What a rush, dude!” here.
After the initial burst of action, we are introduced to Brian (Paul Walker from She’s All That) as he tests the speed of his car on an empty racetrack. His displeasure with the car’s performance is a window into his motivations later in the movie. Anyway, Brian has been hanging around a sandwich shop run by Mia (Jordanna Brewster from The Faculty) for a few weeks, and seems to have a guarded interest in her brother, Dom (Vin Diesel – appropriately named for this movie, and for his “I eat rocks” voice). As Brian munches on a bad tuna sandwich, Dom’s “team” turn up on the scene – his
tough-as-they-come girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez of Girlfight fame), and some typically named (Vince, Lance etc.) background suspicious-of-new-people types. Brian is sent packing, which fuels (ha ha) his determination to get in on the illegal street racing the team participate in.
A few tanks of nitrous oxide later (for his car, not for him), and Brian turns up at the exciting world of street racing, which of course features tough street criminals (one played by Ja Rule – an underused character in my opinion, with some of the best comedy lines) and sexy women in rubber/leather etc. Yes, the world of American street racing is a far cry from a few kids in the Asda car park on a Saturday night doing donuts in their Ford Escorts. Brian foolishly enters a race against Dom, betting his car that he will win. Needless to say, his inexperience shows, and he loses, but begins to gains the trust of the big man. But why is he so eager to get in with this bunch of motor-heads (boom, boom!)?
It’s around this point that things begin to get twisty, and it’s a shame that quite a lot of reviews have given away what could have been a surprise in the plot, as we find out the true motivation of Brian’s desire to get in with the gang of speed freaks. After the street race, things drop a gear into Plotsville, with the usual amount of suspicion, double crosses and a few bursts of interest coming from the involvement of a rival Oriental gang in the proceedings. There is also the promise of the climactic “Race Wars” in which Dom must compete against his detractors, with Brian’s help of course.
Vin Diesel’s character is another string in his bow, which is going to be all stringy with action roles after this (he has been linked to Terminator 3 and even a film version of Marvel Comic’s Daredevil – can’t see that one working…). I read somewhere and wholly agree that he is the next Bruce Willis – tough yet believable. Paul Walker is distinctly Keanu-ish – close your eyes and hear him talk, and you wouldn’t know the difference. Jordanna Brewster takes something of a back seat (oh, the puns keep coming), but definitely needs a film of her own. As does Michelle Rodriguez (okay, she had Girlfight but you know what I mean), who proves she can kick a$$ with the best of them once again, whilst retaining a sexy edge which should see her through well in the upcoming Resident Evil movie.
The stunt work and the imaginative CGI assisted camera shots make this an unmissable experience. In the street race where Brian is “broken in”, the camera flies through the engine, weaves in and out of the cars (similar to the effects at the end of “What Lies Beneath”), is in between them, above them… it’s supremely effective in making you appreciate the speed of the vehicles.
As for the soundtrack, it’s an effective mix of hip-hop and rock (original, eh?), with contributions from Ja Rule, Limp Bizkit, Method Man and Redman to name but a few. For the first half hour or so, it’s pretty much a big music video, with lots of tunes cutting in over the action, but never taking away from it, except in a police bust scene later in the film, which loses some dramatic impetus. Still, the score is pleasing up-to-date, with the usual strings side-by-side with rock riffs.
The movie is fairly schizophrenic in its approach. Elements from a lot of other films are in here, from cheesy lines such as “I’ve got something to show you” to men busting each other’s balls, betrayal and the unspoken bond between men (yawn!), this hits every mark in the big dumb action movie book (available soon). What sets it apart from most others is the low budget – which does not show. Less money equals more creativity, and this has it in spades. The inevitable sequel will no doubt have a lot more money thrown at it, which may prove to be overkill, but that remains to be seen.
If Moulin Rouge is about truth, beauty, freedom and love, The Fast and the Furious is about respect, honour, testosterone and male bonding. Think Point Break meets Gone in 60 Seconds, and you’re not a million miles away. Only this outdoes Gone’s car action (especially the clunky CGI “you’ll believe Nic Cage’s car can fly” stunt at the end) and is well worth a look. Whilst there is still some baffling (to the non-car literate like me) engine-speak, it’s a less vapid affair than the Nicolas Cage starrer, with well rounded characters and a lot of style. Like the Matrix, this will make you feel cool for having watched it. Drive home safely now…
(P.S. See if you can spot Rob Cohen blowing his own trumpet by sneaking in a little something from one of his earlier efforts into Vin Diesel’s house. Keep ‘em peeled!)
Action/Adventure - Director: Gore Verbinski - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Chow Yun-Fat
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Advantages: Cars, women, great stunts, fights and a great plot. Disadvantages: Maybe a slighty worn out genre, but still great. The ending could be better! Though I won't go into that and spoil it!
Advantages: Back to the cruising scene with great cars, great sound systems and great girls. Action packed Disadvantages: It's not as good as Fast and Furious, poor acting, unrealistic story
Advantages: Plenty of action, nice effects, Vin Diesel, no need to think too hard. Disadvantages: Not really any, unless you're expecting something that it's not.
![The Fast and the Furious [DVD] [1954] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/75101444.jpg "The Fast and the Furious [DVD] [1954] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]")
![The Fast And The Furious [HD DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78158583.jpg "The Fast And The Furious [HD DVD] [2001]")
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