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1.0 out of 5 stars
Absolute cinematic brilliance..., Jun 17 2003
If Stanley Kubrick were still alive, he'd beg for mercy at the feet of Rob Cohen, who directed this gem of a film. Fast cars, MTV-style editing, girls passed off as nothing more than sex objects, brilliant acting, rap star cameos, and much, much more! Sometimes I didn't think I could handle it all in one sitting. In fact, after the part where Vin Diesel says, "You break her heart, I'll break your neck," I had to immediately switch the movie off to regain my state of mind. I mean, the script for this movie is simply brilliant. "Since you were the first one to reach in and grab the chicken, you say grace." WOW! Does that not reek of genius? Somebody please get me a damn bucket of cold water to splash over my face so I can come to my senses and try to remember that it's only a movie.
There's no two ways about it: you MUST get this new "tricked out" DVD edition, which is essential to your film library. It will look nice sandwiched between your copies of "Raging Bull" and "Dr. Strangelove" on your DVD shelf. Impress your friends with the "tricked out" edition; a DVD incantation which puts any Criterion release to utter shame!
Well, folks, I'm rambling. "The Fast and the Furious" is a great, great movie. Almost as great as sarcasm.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A sensational action film!, Feb 18 2012
Words can't describe how important this film is. Not only is it the beginning of one of the best action franchises in cinema history, it is a fun and original film. Not many films before this have done the idea of street racing so successfully, it has some great actors (Vin Diesel!) and the heist scene at the end is an action scene you will never forget! Highly recommended.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Still Another 'B' Movie With an 'A" Budget, Mar 10 2002
The Fast and the Furious is a good example of a trend that is fashionable in Hollywood these days -- taking a grade 'B' concept, idea or script and dressing it up as a grade 'A' movie. ...The movie revolves around the latest craze in street racing. Young people are taking the lowliest cars, such as Honda Civics, and converting them into lean, mean street machines. These vehicles are incredibly fast, their power often enhanced by nitrous oxide injectors. They look to be both dangerous and expensive, but that's a lot of their appeal. Frankly, I'd like to drive one myself.
The movie opens with a bang, a visual adrenaline / testosterone combo rush in which several guys and a girl in supercharged little black cars attack and rob a semi truck as it roars down an interstate highway. The scene reminds me of the old Westerns where robbers attacked a moving stagecoach. It's a silly scene because it's so obviously impossible, but it's also totally exhilarating to watch. In real life, if you absolutely must rob a semi, try one that's parked.
The plot involves a not-so-bright ...[man] named Brian [Paul Walker] who infiltrates a group of street racers led by the charismatic Dominic [Vin Diesel]. The group may or may not be the thieves. Along the way, Brian must prove his worth as a racer, and these scenes involve some rather amazing races along the streets of LA. He also manages to fall in love with Dominic's sister, Mia [Jordana Brewster]. Incidentally, the plot seems ...
Vin Diesel dominates the cast. He was also appealing in two movies in 2000, Pitch Black and Boiler Room. He is probably our next great action star. Paul Walker, who sounds like Keanu Reeves and looks like the young Rob Lowe, makes a good white bread kind of hero. Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez are great to look at, but this is a guy flick, so it's hard to gauge their acting skills here.
The Fast and the Furious is one of the most visually interesting movies of 2001. Director Rob Cohen keeps everything, well, fast and furious. The movie is in constant movement. The photography is outstanding. The colors and lighting create an LA that is appropriately dreamlike, since we know that all the things we are seeing could only really happen in a movie. This is street racing and crime as a fantasy.
This movie may be all style and no substance. It's a guilty pleasure, trash mixd with class....
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