Review - Fast & Furious

The fourth film in the series finds Brian O'Conner back working with the FBI undercover trying to takedown a known drug lord named Braga. Dom Toretto comes out of hiding and must align himself with O'Conner once again, in order to take down the shared enemy. The two are hired as drivers to take part in trafficing illegal drugs across international borders in the hopes they can arrest and seek revenge on the drug lord.


Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift director Justin Lin, returns for his second effort in the film series with "Fast & Furious." Lin presents an overall entertaining film that feels miles better than his first attempt, Tokyo Drift and furthermore, measures up to the first film in the series. "Fast & Furious" probably has the least amount of street racing from the franchise, however it does makes up for it with a solid story, the return of original characters and an action packed film that ooh's and awe's from beginning to end.

People go to see the Fast and the Furious films for the racing and the cars and here in "Fast & Furious" you get what you paid for. The newest film in the franchise features a bit more American vehicles instead of the majority of the cars being Imports. Rest assured Brian O'Conner is still driving Imports while, Dom would not be caught dead in one. Along with the return of Vin Diesel as Dom Toretto, comes the return of Dom's 69 Dodge Charger! Just like in the original Fast and the Furious, American muscle always beats an Import. All of the driving and stunts are eye-popping and excite endlessly, a few stunts however are extremely ridiculous, but enjoyable none the less.

Having Vin Diesel return as Dom Toretto definately helped amped up anticipation for the film and his performance comes through unblemished in his return. Diesel is perfect as Toretto and shares the screen well with his co-stars. Diesel jumps right back into the role, as if he never left, and it was very nice to see the franchise bring him back and use him effectively. The same can also be said for Paul Walker returning as Brian O'Conner. Walker brings the perfect amount of cockiness mixed with passion to the role and it also allowed the story to be flushed out further between Brian and Dom. Walker and Diesel's scenes together were memorable and make the viewer remember why they enjoyed the first film so much. The duo's bickering provide a few good laughs, while their fighting and driving skills are captivating and engage throughout the 107 minute film.

"Fast & Furious" marks the first film in the franchise that has quality villains. In the previous films the bad guys were always laughable and could quickly take the viewer out of the film, but here in "Fast & Furious," Braga and his men are believable. Laz Alonso pulls off a steady performance as Fenix Rise, Braga's lead driver and John Ortiz perfectly plays Campos, Braga's number one. Gal Gadot is sultry enough as Braga's coordinator Gisele, and she does her best to win Dom's affections to no avail. The rest of the supporting cast also pulls off solid performances, including the other returning Fast and the Furious stars, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez and Sung Kang from Tokyo Drift.

"Fast & Furious" was a action-packed ride that does not disappoint. Justin Lin pulled off a quality sequel that outshines the previous two films, while also tying up some old storylines from the first in the series. The stunts are ridiculous, but specatular and the film moves at a great pace, keeping the viewer enthralled throughout. "Fast & Furious" within the franchise actually takes before Tokyo Drift, so that could create a bit of anti-climatic ending, however the final result is still a rousing good time.