The Fast & The Furious - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

TRY to imagine Point Break with fast cars replacing surfers and you get the idea of what to expect from this high octane crowd-pleaser which raced to the top of the US Box Office with scant regard for some of the more expensive special effects laden blockbusters of the summer.

Starring the little known Paul Walker and the charismatic and rapidly emerging Vin Diesel (of Pitch Black fame), The Fast and the Furious is, as its title suggests, little more than loud, flashy eye candy that delivers its thrills with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

It's a testosterone-fuelled joyride through the world of illegal street racing and lorry-jacking that rarely gets out of first gear plot-wise; but still manages to be hip, fun, and, above all, immensely enjoyable, from the word go. 

Walker stars as undercover cop, Brian, whose meal ticket to a detective's badge lies in his ability to crack a racing crew that sidelines in hijacking lorries for DVDs and hi-fis.

But as he finds himself drawn into the adrenalin-charged trappings of the world he has infiltrated, his ability to do his job is hindered on many levels. Primarily, there is Diesel's speed-obsessed Dominic Toretto whose ability behind the wheel is as revered as his propensity for violence.

Then there's Mia (The Faculty's Jordana Brewster), Dominic's sister, who falls for Brian's single-minded charm and determination to overcome his outsider's tag. And finally there's the races themselves - danger-ridden thrill rides through the mean streets and deserts of LA, which provide the ultimate test of nerve and courage.

Brian soon finds himself seduced, as well as drawn to Dominic and Mia, while all the time battling to keep his arrest-hungry superiors at bay.

Sound familiar? Hell, yes, but this isn't really about winning awards or garnering critical acclaim for that matter. To coin a phrase from the far superior Point Break, it's ``young, dumb and full of cum''.

What Rob Cohen's movie lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in energy, even in spite of its dreadful script. Cohen directs the set pieces with gusto and cranks up the volume at every opportunity, making this an at times deafening trip through LA's darkest suburbs. Cars crash spectacularly, they race dangerously, and the resulting stunts have to be seen to be believed in some cases.

And holding it all together is Diesel's roguish anti-hero, an unpredictable loner who ``lives his life a quarter of a mile at a time'' and who may or may not be the brains behind the hijacking operation.

Building on strong performances in the aforementioned Pitch Black and Saving Private Ryan, Diesel exudes an energy and a charisma reserved for the best types of actors (he is rumoured to be taking on the role of Black's Riddick again).

Walker, on the other hand, occasionally seems to be struggling with the action man lead, but gives it his best nonetheless, complete with a frequently uncanny Keanu Reeves sounding voice. But to be fair, he is merely playing to formula.

Cohen could also be criticised for only scratching the surface of the world he is depicting, seldom exploring the real dangers and excesses that lie within, while the movie's `glorification' of street racing has certainly been knocked by those anticipating any copycat racers.

But taken at face value, and for sheer fun alone, this is a slick vehicle that looks destined to become a cult classic. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.