Review: The Fast and the Furious

#73 - The Fast and the Furious


The Fast and the Furious is the original movie in the Fast and Furious franchise. This is where it all started. Brian O'Conner, an undercover cop, befriends a wanted man, Dominic Toretto. They live life in the fast lane, racing cars for money and fun. Brian is trying to find the ones responsible for hijacking semi-trucks and stealing the merchandise the trucks are toting. When Brian finds out it is Dom and his team, Brian helps them instead of turning them in. The film ends with Dom and Brian racing...and Brian letting Dom walk free. He develops a respect for Dom throughout the film, and also falls in love with Toretto's sister, Mia.

This movie isn't that great, but it still has a special place in my heart. I love the Fast and Furious films. This one was released in 2001, which was the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. Fast cars and hot guys were right up my alley being a 17-year-old girl. Paul Walker had already won me over three years prior to this film with his work on Meet the Deedles, so I think that was what originally drew me to this film. Since then, I have grown to love Vin Diesel as well.

I think The Fast and the Furious has a great story line. The fact that Dom opens his home up to a complete stranger, which ends up being the undercover cop who busts open his semi jacking scheme makes for great character development. Brian and Dom become friends, and that's why Brian lets him go in the end of the film. Having the team of guys (and girls) around Dom shows that he's not a bad guy. I like that aspect as well. One of my favorite scenes between Brian and Dom is when they're sitting in the Toretto's garage and Dom is telling the story of his father. He reveals that the time he beat a guy nearly to death has haunted him his whole life, but he did it out of a fit of rage when the man killed his father during a race. This, to me, is the point in the film when Brian decides to side with Dom and do everything in his power to protect the Torettos (especially Mia).

Watching this film after the death of Paul Walker was a heartbreaking experience for me. These films were ultimately what brought him to his death. Being a part of the Fast and Furious franchise allowed him to be surrounded by fast cars, and that is what fueled his love of racing. To die in a fiery car crash, which is talked about several times in this film, just breaks my heart. The first time I saw Paul on screen while watching the film this time, I teared up a little. There are also two scenes in the film that have characters warning his character, Brian, about the Nos and racing because it will cause him to "blow himself up." To have those scenes end up coming to reality, that is emotionally difficult to take in - especially being the huge Paul Walker fan that I am. His death has been an enormous shock to me, and I am still not fully over it. However, the Fast and Furious movies allow me to watch Paul in his element. He was most happy while speeding behind the wheel of a fast car, and even though that brought him to his untimely demise, I will still love and enjoy these films.

Overall, I give The Fast and the Furious 3.5 out of 5 stars.