I've got just over 150000 points till Gold, that still seems a hell of a long way to go lol
I've got just over 150000 points till Gold, that still seems a hell of a long way to go lol
Member since:29.08.2002
Reviews:628
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The Street Racing culture in downtown LA is getting out of control and in particular someone from that scene has started hijacking lorries. Worried that the truck drivers will take the law into their own hands the LAPD put one of their own cops, Brian O’Connor, undercover on an FBI lead investigation to try and find out who is behind these attacks. O’Connor gets himself in with one of the Street Racing scene’s top dogs Dominic Toretto, the main suspect for the watching FBI. It’s down to O’Connor to get a result before things go too far and someone is seriously hurt.
It’s been 8 years since the release of the original Fast and The Furious and despite the 3 sequels that followed it. It has remained the best film in the series. It has a little something for everyone with fast cars and a lot of action the film can appeal to a broad spectrum of viewers. The plot on the whole isn’t too taxing and while it keeps a decent story moving at a reasonable pace it is exactly what it says on the tin, an action film with Cars.
For director Rob Cohen it is fair to say that this was his big Hollywood movie. He hadn’t really directed much of importance before this film and for the first time Fast and the Furious put him out there and made a name for him as a director. It’s a very well made film with some magnificent special effects that look realistic and add to the overall effect of the movie. Like all good car films though it’s the driving scenes that really set the Fast and Furious apart from most racing and car based movies at the time.
He uses some very clever camera angles and views to really bring the race sequences to life. The car chases and races are shot very well and you feel like you’re almost there watching and waiting to see what’s going to happen. Some of the stunts will have taken very careful planning and Cohen along with Gary Scott Thompson take what starts off as just a magazine article and turns it into a very enjoyable Hollywood blockbuster. Of course the storyline isn’t the most involved but it doesn’t need to be and it’s fair to say that Cohen does most of his talking through the well choreographed race sequences that made this film a huge success.
Of course even with the direction the casting had to be just right and I think it’s fair to say that the two leads couldn’t have been any better cast. The choice of Paul Walker as the LAPD cop was an inspired choice and like Cohen and co star Vin Diesel this film was really the making of Walker’s career. He plays the cop incredibly well and despite some rather naive character traits which he portrays seems to pick up with relative ease he becomes a lead character you care about. With that naive streak in his character it works well in forming his relationship with Dominic Toretto played superbly by Vin Diesel.
The pair seem to have an instant connection on screen and the characters are so well suited to them that it adds something to the plot. It takes what would have been a rather one dimensional plot and gives it some real character and appeal to non car enthusiasts that the film could so easily have missed. Then when you add a supporting cast that includes Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster and Matt Schulze to name but a few it has the recipe for success that Fast and the Furious delivers.
It’s a film that over the years has really shown some staying power and that is pretty important. The first two sequels were poor in comparison with only the recent 4th instalment coming even close to the success and enjoyment of this movie. Of course there’s an element of mindless entertainment about this film but that’s why it works. There are moments where it seems to take itself a little too seriously but they are quickly swept to one side and the result is an enjoyable action movie that mixes fast cars and a reasonable plot with a large amount of success.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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: 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.
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![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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![The Fast and the Furious [DVD] [1954] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/81497500.jpg)
