Ladies & gentlemen, today, we are going to to begin the review of an action movie franchise that began twenty years ago, in honor of a certain sequel getting released in theaters around the end of June. Not only that, but today’s film that we’ll be talking about seemed to be one of actor Vin Diesel’s, and maybe even Paul Walker’s main big breaks in the movie industry. Not to mention that this movie, and it’s sequels seemed to pique people’s interest in cars, and how they work more. Please correct me, if I’m wrong on that, though. Anyway, presenting the one, and only, 2001’s The Fast & The Furious.
Plot: An LAPD officer named Brian O’ Connor (Paul Walker) is sent to investigate an incident, where cars were stolen by a gang of car hijackers. Will he be able to find the people who did this, and bring them to justice?
Right off the bat, 2001’s The Fast & The Furious is a very good action film, no doubt. However, whether it be released by Universal Pictures, or any other company, I don’t think it’s quite one of the best action movies out there. Oh, it’s still fun to watch. That, I won’t deny. However, there are some areas where this film could have been a little better. First of all, the film can sometimes act like a 007/James Bond film wannabe. Okay, maybe that’s going a little too far. However, something tells me that there are some minor similarities between the James Bond films, and the Fast & The Furious films somewhere along the way. Again, I hope to be wrong this time. Anyway, even if this is an action movie, it seems to act like one in that genre, with some MTV elements added to it. This especially true in terms of how there are some scenes that can come close to being a little too sensual for a PG-13 rated film. There also seems to be a little too much bad language in this film too. Now yes, I understand that PG-13 movies had a lot of cuss words back then, and that that is the case for today. Still, I can’t help but wonder if this film could have easily border-lined being an R-rated film, or at least come close to that. Either way, let’s be glad that it wasn’t worse, eh? Well, not to mention that this was directed by Rob Cohen, who just five years before, directed the fantasy film Dragonheart. Strange, that he goes from directing a more innocent, and more family friendly film to a somewhat more inappropriate movie like The Fast & The Furious! Very interesting, indeed!
But is this action movie bad? No! Far from it! Yes, this film can be a little too inappropriate for kids even around 13, or even slightly older. Still, at least The Fast & The Furious does educate the viewer on how there are gangs in the world, that there are gangs, and that there are things called race wars. Not to mention that the movie also teaches people that you can’t always trust everyone that you meet in life. What’s more is that even if a couple of the characters can be a little bland, they generally stand out. Truth be told is that it’s partially because some of the characters can be complex, and/or complicated that they are well developed in the end. Plus, even in live-action action films, it’s almost like most of those films seem to divide the characters into good ones, and the bad ones. Well, yes, the movie of course has both it’s heroes, and it’s villains. However, there also seem to be those characters that can look like villains, but seem to instead be misunderstood nice people. It honestly makes us be more compassionate, and sympathetic, rather than just loving to hate their guts, you know? The music by BT is also good, and helps set the mood throughout the film. Next, there are the visual effects. Oh man! Let me just say that the early 2000s seemed to serve as proof that movies were beginning to improve with their visual effects. This is especially true, due to the picture quality being better, the film editing being an improvement, and things like that. Well, obviously, this film wouldn’t be the only proof of that, seeing as we would have films like the Lord Of The Rings trilogy that would come out sometime after movies like this one. Oh, and another thing! This movie does a really good job of portraying what life is like when working in the police business. Obviously, movies like this, or shows like 24 that has main characters working as FBI agents serve as proof that people should definitely think critically before deciding to go into a business like those. Finally, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, along with the rest of the cast pull off their roles surprisingly well.
And that’s my review for The Fast & The Furious! In the end, do I recommend that you see this film? Yes! This time, I would say that parents especially should make some conditions first. One is that parents need to make sure that their kids are well educated on gangs, race wars, and the dangers of selling cars to others illegally. Also, kids need to have a strong foundation in Christ. That is especially since there is some sensuality that may be a little inappropriate especially for younger ones. With all that in mind, people should definitely see this film, and enjoy the racing, the action, and relating to some of the characters.
Final Grade: B+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 