Review #826: 'Fast & Furious' (2009)

After the massive disappointment of the two sequels to 2001's dumb but entertaining The Fast and The Furious, the franchise got itself back on track by grounding itself (I use that term loosely) and bringing back the original quarter of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Tokyo Drift (2006) was mind-dumbingly dull, but the action scenes were more impressive than what came before and it teased fans of the series by bringing back Diesel for a last-minute cameo. Director Justin Lin is at the helm once again, and this fourth instalment is the best yet (at this point in the series).

Five years after fleeing Los Angeles, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) is up to his old tricks in the Dominican Republic with girlfriend Letty (Rodriguez) and Tokyo Drift's Han (Sung Kang). Sensing his presence in his new gang will only bring the law down upon them, Toretto flees to Panama, leaving Letty behind. A few months later, Toretto is brought back to America by an incident I cannot reveal with being spoilerific. He starts his own investigation, which leads him to a man named David Park (Ron Yuan). Meanwhile, F.B.I. agent Brian O'Conner (Walker) is also investigating Park, and all trails seem to lead to a mysterious drug lord named Arturo Braga.

Though the movie begins with a rather ridiculous action scene that brought flashbacks of the terrible xXx (2002), things settle down as an actual plot - the first of the series? - develops. It's simple but effective, and everything from the cinematography to the script feels cleaner and more mature. More focus is granted for the characters, and although they're relatively stoic and wafer-thin, it's nice to see them exchange words in a room rather than shouting at each other over the noise of an engine. Fans of the franchise need not to worry though, as Fast & Furious, which is in danger of being the most unimaginative title to a sequel ever, offers plenty of motor-porn, scantily-clad women and a pumping soundtrack.

Which is where the movie ultimately suffers. Although Justin Lin dims the sheen of street racing and shoots the obligatory gyrating lady parts with a less perverted and exploitative eye, the main crux of the plot still surrounds drug smuggling, a lazy McGuffin and a recycled excuse to get Brian and Toretto behind the wheel again. The action on the whole is exciting, especially the high-speed rush through an underground tunnel that crosses the Mexican-American border, and Lin manages to avoid getting lost in the mayhem. It will never be a work of high art, but there's enough here to reignite my passing interest in this glossy but fun series.


Directed by: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz
Country: USA/Japan

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie