Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

There are major spoilers in this "post-movie" review. For those who have seen the film, read on. For those who haven't: you've been warned!

The Fast and the Furious, directed by Rob Cohen (The Skulls, television's Vanishing Son, and the horrible Daylight starring Stallone), is an entertaining guy movie with all the awkward stereotypes and conventional film making techniques packed in: criminals that are apparently non-white, sultry Asian girls getting out of fixed up cars and the cop who falls in love with someone from the other side.

If you're not so sensitive to these, you'll find yourself at least entertained. I had very low expectations of this film. And I expected to walk out of the theater wondering why I wasted my 7 dollars. Luckily, the film made my evening.

Paul Walker (Pleasantville, Varsity Blues) plays undercover cop Brian O'Conner. He manages to get himself into the illegal street racing scene thanks to the growing trust from Domenic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel of Pitch Black and Saving Private Ryan films. Soon after, Brian grows attracted to Domenic's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), and the conflict between Brian and Domenic gets in the way of an otherwise stable, undercover investigation.

O'Conner is trying to find out which group racers is using their souped up vehicles to steal expensive electronics. The bandits apparently hijack diesel/semi trucks by grouping up their cars to "box" the truck in.

Brian is assisted by his police team, led by Sgt. Tanner. Ted Levine (Heat) easily gets kudos for the most believable, down to earth performance as his super, trying to keep him out of trouble and on the case.

Johnny Tran (Rick Yune/Snow Falling on Cedars) and his group of Asian thugs (why is the Asian always portrayed as evil?) are believed to be the thieves. But O'Conner soon finds out that they aren't the problem. It's actually Toretto, so how does Brian handle Domenic, Mia and Johnny?

F&F treats viewers with some respectable action sequences and races. However, the first big race, in the streets of evening Los Angeles is ridiculous: they made a quarter of a mile seem like 10, with cars going 500 miles an hour and the scenery wizzing by in an almost fantastical fashion. Luckily, later sequences don't get this visual effects overkill.

Aside from Paul Walker's vocal resemblance to Keanu Reeves ("I almost had you!" or "Mia, I'm a cop!" will remind you easily of that guy in Point Break), most performances are decent. I loved Vin Diesel in Pitch Black and he plays a good bad-guy, confident and trusting of Brian, but later double-crossed and almost vindictive.

It might not be so apparent to some people, but I found the "Johnny puts oil in the guy's mouth for torture" scene a bit too much. From the surface, it's bad-guy-tortures-good-guy. But character plot tells me "Asian-man-is-ruthless-to-white-man". There are probably one thousand other ways to write disrespect and violence into a film, but it seems that the writers went for the easiest convention possible. I found this disturbing.

As I said, stereotypes. Acknowledge them and let them pass, and the film may be alright for you.

The final action sequence of the film, prior to Domenic's and Brian's final "quarter mile" race, was exciting and lengthy. The framing of the defensive trucker, shooting at Domenic's possy to get them off of his cargo, was good: never showing his face, only his shotgun and the shells he loaded in order to fight off the racers.

If you see this on video, and have a home theater system, I suggest turning it up loud. In theaters, the sound was exhilarating. The music, scored/arranged by electronic wizard BT, is AMAZING, full of energy and beats. I wanted to buy the original score to this film, but apparently Universal never released it (yet fans are going crazy over these songs sometimes moreso than the soundtrack with vocal / rap tracks). I can't wait to hear BTs next film soundtrack.

F&F is fun, and it might actually make you furious if you pay full price at a theater, but if you rent it on video, you'll find it entertaining and certainly not all that disappointing if you're in it for the speed.

Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older