It’s so strange watching the original The Fast and the Furious knowing this relatively low-budget film would launch a multi-billion dollar franchise. It would spawn nine sequels, a spinoff (with many more said to be in development), an animated series, and even theme park rides. Who could have imagined that a lowly gang of street racers stealing TV/DVD player combos would go on to hijack nuclear subs, launch themselves into space, and save the world multiple times from doomsday weapons?
The late-Paul Walker stars as Brian O’Connor, an undercover cop sent to infiltrate the street racing scene as part of a joint LAPD-FBI task force. His mission is to identify and apprehend a gang of hijackers stealing shipments of electronics. O’Connor quickly forms a friendship with the tough-as-nails Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and even romances his younger sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). He also meets other members of Dom’s crew: Dom’s no-nonsense girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), beefy and antagonistic Vince (Matt Schulze), and young and overly eager Jesse (Chad Lindberg). There’s also Leon (Johnny Strong), who seems to have been completely forgotten as the series unfolded.
It’s obvious to everyone that Dom’s group are the ones behind the rash of crimes, but Brian has allowed his personal feelings to affect his judgment. Desperate to crack the case, his bosses target the rival Asian gang led by Johnny Tran (Rick Yune), which inadvertently leads to a shocking string of events that will change the lives of everyone involved.
There are elements of The Fast and the Furious that haven’t aged well. The CGI looks exceptionally dated, especially shots where the camera goes inside the car’s engine. The screenplay by Erik Bergquist, Gary Scott Thompson (2 Fast 2 Furious), and David Ayer (future writer/director of Suicide Squad) is riddled with corny attempts at hip dialogue and flat stereotypes instead of well-rounded characters. The race and heist sequences are passable, but lack the energy and panache that John Singleton and Justlin Lin would eventually bring. Drowning everything out with a blaring soundtrack of techno, hip-hop and nu-metal doesn’t help much. Director Rob Cohen does manage to plant the film’s feet firmly into the Los Angeles scene using authentic locations in El Segundo, Echo Park, Westminster, and Downtown. An opening sequence in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium receives a call back in Fast X.
Massive credit goes to the performances and on-screen chemistry of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel for keeping the movie afloat. The blue-eyed, blonde locked Walker just naturally pairs up well with the brooding and baritone-voiced Diesel. It’s easy to see how Dom’s philosophy of living a quarter mile at a time would win over Brian. Sure, the entire plot is just a warmed over version of Point Break, but they make it work.
Video/Audio: 10
The video is presented in 4K with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. This is a newly remastered transfer and the picture quality is practically flawless. There are bold and rich colors with Paul Walker’s piercing blue eyes being exceptionally noticeable.
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos and it’s an aural treat. As you can imagine, the racing sequences are the true test. Screeching tires, shotgun blasts, and the roaring engines are incredible and heightened by the immersive crowd noise.
Extras: 6
Riding a Legacy: 25 Years of Fast (27:35) is the only new supplemental material included in this release. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster look back on making the original film, breaking down the story and their characters, and its legacy.
The other features included have been ported over from previous versions. They include:
The Making of The Fast and the Furious (18:03) is a vintage behind-the-scenes featurette looking at the street racing subculture and how the movie recreates the lifestyle authentically. It also looks at putting together the cast and crew.
More Than Furious (2:28) is an alternate ending showing Brian attempting to reconcile with Mia after quitting the police force.
Hot off the Street is a selection of short deleted scenes.
Dom’s Charger (4:21) focuses on Dom’s iconic 1970 Dodge Charger and the stunts it went through on the first and fourth movies.
Quarter Mile at a Time (9:43) is a quick history of car racing going back to the days of Henry Ford and bootleggers.
Tricking Out a Hot Import Car (20:02) features technical advisor Craig Lieberman explaining how to modify cars to give them speed and style in order to become a formidable racing machine.
Multiple Camera Angles – Stunt Sequence breaks down the final act crash scene involving Dom’s Charger.
Movie Magic Interactive – Special Effects is another featurette that breaks down the movie’s climactic crash scene.
Featurette on Editing for the Motion Picture Association of America (4:37) is a featurette looking at how the editors put together the heist scene in order to earn a PG-13.
Visual Effects Montage (3:44) takes us through various stages of storyboards and pre-viz effects and how they got to the final cut.
Storyboards-To-Final Feature Comparison (6:50) is a top to bottom comparison of the storyboards with the completed sequences.
Music Videos lets you watch “Furious” by Ja Rule, “POV City Anthem” by Caddillac Tah, and “Click Click Boom” by Saliva.
Speed News Wrap (2:03) is a montage of the film’s car scenes set to Limp Bizkit.
Rounding out the extras are a collection of deleted scenes and an audio commentary by director Rob Cohen.
Also included on the Blu-ray disc are the theatrical trailer, a sneak peek at 2 Fast 2 Furious, the U-Control picture-in-picture interactive option, and a quick PSA from Paul Walker warning viewers not to attempt the stunts they see in the movies, which is somewhat chilling given the circumstances of his tragic death.
Film Value: 6
The Fast and the Furious shows just how a massive franchise could be built on humble foundations. The original film manages to overcome a trite script by giving us a diverse cast of characters buoyed by the performances of lead actors Walker and Diesel, along with Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster.
