Fast & Furious

If I were to rate the first three “The Fast and The Furious” films, the list would be as follows: the first one, the third one, then followed way after by the second one. While it was still a decent film, outside of Vin Diesel’s cameo, it was hard to see where “Tokyo Drift” fell in the Fast and the Furious continuum.

With “Fast & Furious,” not only does it trump “Tokyo Drift” as the series’ second best film, but also allows that movie to make some sense in the world that is revealed in the first film.

“Fast and Furious” takes place five years after the first film. This means the events in “Fast and Furious” occur before “2 Fast 2 Furious” and somewhere along “Tokyo Drift.” We are introduced to Dom’s team of hijackers, his girlfriend Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez, Han, played by Sung Kang, as well as comedic reliefs Don Omar and Tego, played by reggaeton rappers Don Omar and Tego Calderon. They are in the Dominican Republic trying to hijack a gas rig. After accomplishing the task, Han reveals the police are closing in on Dom, causing Han to move onto Japan and the events in “Tokyo Drift” and Dom to leave Letty for her safety.

Yet, events bring him back to the racing world of California when he discovers that she was killed during a drug run. In comes Brian O’Conner, played by Paul Walker, who must once again go undercover to track down the kingpin behind the millions of dollars of drugs that have been run into the country by gearheads. Eventually, Dom and Brian team up to take down the kingpin, Arturo Braga.

What really makes the film enjoyable are the great car races. Watching the cars go 80, 90 and nearly 100 miles an hour in crowded traffic is a joy to watch. If races like this were to actually happen, I would imagine they would be very much as depicted, with skillful drivers and jaw-dropping crashes. While there is a great amount of movie magic on screen, especially when small imports are breaking through barriers like semi trucks, it all adds to the film’s fast and exciting pace.

Even better, is that it's great to see Vin Diesel take the reins of Dom Toretto again. After what was supposed to be a star-turning role in the first film, Diesel’s career has since been a disappointment. His return to what made him so awesome in the first place is a welcome sight to see.

Meanwhile, Walker does as expected and while not impressive in the role, he manages to make a more believable federal agent than he did in either of the first two films. The film’s story is also an upgrade over “2F2F” and “Tokyo Drift.” Finally seeing a big story with mega stakes improves the series. “Fast & Furious” often plays like a two-hour music video, all with beautiful women, terrible dialogue and breathtaking action scenes. While it will not go down as one of the best films ever made, it is certainly a fun ride to go on.

Written by: Manny Carrasco

Reviewers Rating: 7
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