The Fast and the Furious

15, 2001, Directed by Rob Cohen
Starring: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster

It's somewhat a shock to consider that The Fast and the Furious raced onto cinema screens well over a decade ago - in the summer of 2001 - to impressively rave reviews. It's testament to Rob Cohen’s original that what has become a guaranteed bankable franchise has stood its ground amidst the insurgence of 3D and the moody superhero blockbuster. Upon retrospect, what The Fast and the Furious does so well is what every ensuing film in the series has done since; embraces its mindlessness in a winking manner. Whilst the original was aimed at thrill-seekers who love their cars shiny, fast and surrounded by scantily-clad women, in essence all it comes across as is Point Break - minus the bank-robbing surfers, but with added truck-robbing street racers.

First time around, the cast may not cause much to shout about. We've got Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, the hulking silent leader of the street-racing ‘family’ which consists of Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty, Toretto’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) – and new addition Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), whose loyalties are tested in ways you are meant to care about in between the frenetically-paced car race sequences. It has to be admitted though that although the cast haven't gone on to the illustrious careers expected of them (between them, flops range from xXx to Into the Blue), perhaps these were the characters they were born to play.

3/5