The Fast and the Furious (2001)

REVIEW
Hot cars, hotter racing action and gorgeous babes and hunks are the main attraction of The Fast and the Furious, a throwback to the low-budget "B" racing car dramas of the 1950s and '60s, only souped up for 21st-century sensibilities. The characters still conform to cheesy dialogue ("I live my life a quarter of a mile at a time") and are one-dimensional cutouts, but the car racing scenes, flashy editing and high-octane camerawork more than make up for the film staying true to the roots of the genre. Making another strong impression in an action film that doesn't insult its audience, Diesel plays Dominic, the leader of a street racing gang (though he prefers "team") who are possible suspects in a string of truck hijackings. Walker is Brain, an undercover cop who infiltrates the gang, er, team, falling for Dominic's sister Mia (Brewster) in the process. That's the excuse for a succession of motorcycle and car races, chases and explosions, and some of them are a doozy. The Fast and the Furious, which shares the same name as one of Roger Corman's first films but is related only by a car-racing plot, will never be mistaken for great art. But it succeeds on the level of a great junk film through its fast pace, knockout driving sequences, and a general desire to entertain in spite of all its limitations.