The Fast and the Furious

Rating:
Summary: Hi Octane fun
Review: This movie rocks, I never so many imports in one movie. I have to say its better than "Gone in 60 Seconds". The actions scenes are entense, the races are great and I think the final part was a bit suspense when Diseal trash into the truck. This movie makes the import cars look better and proves who has the better cars in this flick. They need to make more movies like this. Plus the extras in the DVD are good and the Music videos make it much better to get into the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Worst movie of all time (seriousy)
Review: What is wrong with Hollywood? This movie coupled with 'Driven' have come to represent some of the most offensive filmaking ever. Where can you start...this is not "Plan Nine from Outer Space" bad...it's bad BAD. REAL BAD.
Let's take the lighting for example. Every shot tries so hard to be glossy perfect. There are no blemishes. The cars always sparkle. The muscles of the meathead actors emphasized too much. In no way does that portray the grit and grime of the streets to any extent. It's like mall parking lot racing.
The plot is crud. It was crud when it was "Point Break". By the way who wrote this dialogue? Who in the world TALKS like this? Are you people that liked it that oblivious to the language that is used here?
I wonder if the jounalist who stumbled onto this "new" world, has ever looked into the '50s drag racing scene. That's pretty much all this was. No earth-shaking thing here... In fact isn't the NHRA based out of California?
The editing must've been done by a production assistant because anyone with any storytelling knowledge wouldn't have let ANY of these scenes on to the final print.
The MOST offensive aspect is that it panders to a dumb audience, so that more of this drivel, "fast-food" movie making can be served up to you the [person] who keeps getting suckered by 500 :30 spots an hour on MTV.

Rating:
Summary: "A Tale of Sound and Fury..."
Review: (...). It's not "The Road Warrior" either, but it's the closest thing to it within (almost) the last 20 years in regards to providing the same high-octane thrills as derived from that ultimate 20th Century form of human self-expression, the severely customized automobile.
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Paul Walker (who looks like a cross between C. Thomas Howell and Timothy Hutton, but maybe I'm dating myself here a bit) and Vin Diesel's relationship make what has been routinely slagged off as a "Donnie Brasco re-telling" a lot more interesting than just some dialogue in between stunt driving scenes (said stunt driving scenes in themselves are worth the price of ownership, however). An empathy for both characters develops without the viewer even being aware of it...the result is a series of plot twists and something of a surprise ending that leaves the door open for...yes, a sequel franchise. Couldn't you just see it coming?
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Maybe the first decade of the 21st Century will compete with the 1970's for the right to be remembered as "The Golden Age of Car movies". There are enough homages to prior films (adequately covered in Rob Cohen's fantastic commentary track) to suggest that this movie was more than just an exploitation flick for motorheads...it comes across as a director's labor of love. Seriously.
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Oh, and with a nod of respect I personally appreciated all that much more, the "baddest ride" in this video showroom of vehicular art IS a relic from the Age of Muscle Cars (and Steve McQueen's "Bullitt"), the manliest car ever built, the Dodge Charger R/T, including (if the gods are kind) the supercharged 426 hemi. Can I get an "AMEN" (or at least a "HOO-WAH")?

Rating:
Summary: I want one of these cars!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Someone tolde me I wouldn't like this movie cuz I'm a girl. I think he needs to find his brain.

This movie is about a cop Brian, (Paul Walker) who works for the FBI, who is trying to bust a robbery ring. The FBI suspects the elite street racing gang of the robberies. So Brian gets sent undercover to the streets of downtown L.A. as the new street racer.The problem is getting into the gang, you have to win a race against the best of the best Of course he's not gonna win even if his car did cost $15,000. and on top of that the gang doesn't like him very much on the account of getting caught flirting with the gang leaders sister Mia (Jordanna Brewster), But luckly after the gang leader Dom (Vin Diesel) meets Brian (and after they both get shot at by a rival gang) he decides he likes Brian so he's in. Gradually Brian becomes more and more sure that this gang is not responsible and after a date with Mia he's almost positive that it's someone else. The problem? he's wrong. But he doesn't know if he can face turning in Dom who he has become very good friends with. On top of that he finds out that Dom has been in jail once already and he'd rather die than go back. Now Brian must choose. Turn in the best friend he's ever known, leave Mia and the gang behind with out a backward glance and get his promotion to FBI detective. Or let Dom go, Say goodbye to Mia,go back to the police station as a cop and kiss goodbye to his dreams of being a FBI detective.

Filled with action,suspense,fast cars,hot guys, and a little romance this is the film of the summer. Forget the one with the little blonde lawyer. SEE THIS MOVIE!!! buy it,rent it,barrow it,steal it,watch it. but whatever you do DON'T miss it!!

It is a little unrealistic, I mean I live in L.A and its crawling with cops and traffic even at 3:00 A.M. There is no way that they would be able to race down a public street without getting arrested or getting in an accident.

Rating:
Summary: The Slow and The Insipid
Review: If this were 1957 and Roger Corman had made "Fast and Furious," it would have been entitled "Hot Rods From Hell" and shown up in your local RKO at the bottom of a bill that featured "Creature From The Black Lagoon"

What can you say about a movie whose most compelling line of dialouge is "I bet there's at least 10 grand under that hood!"

I know a 23 year old college student who shaved his head bald, so impressed was he with the Vin Diesel character.

It's a good thing he didn't go to see "Shrek"

Rating:
Summary: THE FAST AND THE DUBIOUS
Review: (Studio Exec.): "Hey, let's make a "Point Break" remake, but this time with 'Cars' instead of 'Surf Boards'! They (the average movie-goer) will never know!"

Let's see, Paul Walker (Keanu Reaves), is an undercover cop (FBI Agent), who is trying to solve Car Thefts (Bank Robberies), so he befriends a likely suspect, Vin Diesel (Patrick Swayze), the member of a street racing cult (Surf Boarding Gang). The movie was not well done, poorly acted, written, directed; you name it. Here's a few rants about this debacle:

>>> Are there any police in this city? They race all over town with no law enforcement in sight.

>>> Not only that, but for argument's sake, let's say that there's actually on ongoing investigation for these people. Don't you think it'd be easy to spot these neon, six-figure racing cars in town? "...okay, I've spotted a lime-green, orange Porsche Turbo XLT with turqoise striping..." Run an APB on this or something? Come on.

>>> By the way, how can you race down dozens of city blocks in the middle of the day without a single bystander or car in the way? "...alright, guys, the coast is clear...""

>>> "...he's a burned out cop, and the only chance anyone's got..." Please. Paul Walker is maybe 20 years old, and he's an undercover cop? Doesn't it take like 10 years + to get promoted to this level?

>>> Who are these women? Do chicks really dig undercover racing cults? And are they all drop dead hot?

>>> These racers are all 18-21 years old, yet somehow able to afford $(...)racing cars?

>>> The special effects were unforgivable. I could have sworn some of the close ups were actually animated.

Anyways, I know, I know, "don't fight the movie," it's just mindless entertainment. Well, it failed at even accomplishing this. Rent "Point Break" instead. It's a classic action flick that actually has some compelling moments and interesting characters and dialogue. "The Fast and the Furious" lacked everything possible. Save your $4.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good movie!
Review: I don't know what I was expecting, but I know that what I got was a lot more than I had anticipated. I remember seeing the preview and thinking I'd MAYBE rent it, because it just looked like a cookie-cutter action movie, with low-rent talent. I now wish I had taken the opportunity to see this on the big screen.
What a pleasant surprise of a movie! There was a pretty good story to it, with a few nice little twists to keep your mind occupied. I can't talk too much about the storyline without giving away the twists, but definately has more to offer than just car racing and women. I am someone who needs a good storyline to go with my action, or I get bored. I was NEVER bored watching this film.
One of the reasons I avoided this film was because of the actors in it. JA Rule? Vin Diesel? And quite a few actors that I had never seen, nor did I care to. Going into it, I thought the highlight would be Michelle Rodriguez, who is one of the best young acresses around (see Girlfight for proof). Were there bad performances? A few, yes. But not out of the actors that I was trying to avoid. Alright, JA Rule was nothing special - but he wasn't in the film long enough to matter. Vin Diesel though gave a pretty good performance, and Paul Walker did a very nice job as well. Both of Paul Walker's bosses gave pretty cheesy performances, but you don't see too much of them anyways.
The action in the film is top notch, and the film just looks great. On top of the great film, you do get some great bonuses with the DVD. I rented this, and flipped through the extras.... THREE PAGES, and not much fluff material here! I only had a chance to look at a few things, but what I saw was great!
I highly recomend buying this movie immediately... and that is coming from someone who a week ago had no desire to even see it!

Rating:
Summary: Good acting and high-octane suspense!
Review: Those looking for an anecdote to last year's lackluster exhaust dispenser "Gone in Sixty Seconds" should find a comfortable remedy in "The Fast and the Furious," which practically ignites the screen in a blaze of frenzied excitement. The story behind the amazing action set-pieces and drag races is mediocre at best, but that's the extent of its shortcomings, as it grips us in a rocket ride of tension and suspense that makes Bruckheimer's flick look like a three-legged race.

The beauty of this movie is its ability to rise above the level of its premise, which any sensible person will be able to see through. It centers around Los Angeles cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), who has been given an undercover assignment to locate the lifters of stolen electronics. The manner in which the goods are stolen leads Brian to the street racing gangs that populate the night streets; their leader, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel), is skeptical of Brian's arrival, but takes him under his wing when he rescues him from pursuing cops after a drag race.

Then things start getting tricky: Brian finds himself falling in love with Dom's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), while also learning of a feud between Dom and a rival street racing gang led by Johnny Tran (Rick Yune). After finding gross amounts of electronic equipment in Tran's garage, Brian returns to his headquarters with his newfound information, but it turns out to be a mislead, and he must start facing the fact that Dom's gang is the one responsible for the thefts.

The plot is pretty basic, reminiscent of a dozen previous undercover cop movies in which a person's loyalty to his occupation is tested by a forged friendship with the enemy. Given the fact that Brian's undercover status must, at some point, be revealed to his new friends, the movie follows a fairly predictable route in which we know what will happen next. The FBI, as portrayed in the film, is also pretty lax in their efforts, and after a few beginning scenes, they are much better left discarded from memory.

Despite these minor speed bumps, "The Fast and the Furious" manages to engage the audience with a stunning array of stunts, special effects, and full-speed-ahead action that never stops moving until the blazing, rip-roaring final chase. In a way, the film's predictability works in its favor, allowing us to focus our attention on what's most important, and that is director Rob Cohen's amazing knack for intensity. Employing an edgy, hardcore techno soundtrack to accompany his magnificent visual thrills, Cohen supercharges each moment with raw, unrelenting suspense.

Take, for instance, the beginning drag race, which pits four drivers against one another amidst a terrific crowd of grunge teenagers and gang members. With the use of extreme quick cuts that take us from close-ups of the drivers to the blur of the cars as they pass bystanders, the scene is given a momentous amount of energy, expertly conveying the rush of adrenaline as each speedometer climbs higher. As the action begins to tie itself more to the story, we soon bear witness to such heart-pounding, breathless scenes such as the botched lifting of stolen goods from an armed trucker, and the final chase sequence, which crowns the film in a blaze of horse-powered glory.

The film's cast is equally involving, employing the talents of Diesel and Walker and using them to its full advantage. Walker's credibility as an undercover cop is questionable at times, but he gets the job done with credible results. It is Diesel, however, who steals the show: his brazen demeanor, from his bulging biceps and muscular build to his gruff voice and heavy-duty attitude, all give off the unstable intensity needed to make his character completely unpredictable in the face of such familiar material. His presence is felt with as much tension as the action itself, and this role, if nothing else, should prove his worth as a great actor who knows what he's doing.

As summer fare, "The Fast and the Furious" is a cut above the rest, and provides more than enough excitement for those of us who have found this summer's movie season to be somewhat lacking. The film has its shortcomings, but it doesn't concern itself with trying to cover them up or better itself. It keeps our attention, as well as its own, on the superb array of drag races, revving engines, and high-speed chases that are edge-of-your-seat fun from beginning to end.

Rating:
Summary: Good depiction of So.Cal car scene, not much else
Review: If you are into Asian hot rods (lots of new tricked out Mitsubishis and Hondas) this is the movie for you. However, if you are expecting to see tight old school cars...there are TWO in this whole film. Since I am orignally from Southern California, I could relate to the teen scene and street racing in industrial areas that are depicted in this movie. My friends here in Oakland (Northern California) were very disappointed with this film because they expected to see some nice old school cars. The acting leaves a lot to be desired, and the script is so predictable that I laughed out loud at times.

Rating:
Summary: Good Job All Round
Review: This movie is great, story just keeps flowing. Good cars *good for not V8's*, good drag scenes, and a sweet charger to top it off at the end. I was impressed with the sound, the DTS mixing is one of the best i have heard. I recommend this for sure, even if you dont like cars !!