The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 action/crime film directed by Rob Cohen. Taking placing in Los Angeles, the movie focuses on the underground world of illegal street racing. By blending together stylish car sequences, memorable characters, and a surprising amount of heart, this movie separates itself from other mindless action flicks.
Due to the immense success of The Fast and the Furious, the film spawned a significant number of sequels and spin-offs, creating its own high-speed action franchise in the process. This franchise has a legacy of crazy action and fast-paced scenes, but does the original movie live up to the hype? Let’s see if The Fast and the Furious is worth jumping into nearly 20 years after it released!
How to Stream or Download The Fast and the Furious Full Movie Online
The film can be streamed or it can be downloaded from iTunes or Google Play. To proceed, click on the Download button below the review. Be sure to also read our reviews of the more recent F&F titles such as Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) or The Fate of the Furious (2017).
The Movie Review
The movie follows the story of Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), an LAPD officer working on a recent string of truck robberies. A group of car enthusiasts have been ripping off DVD players and various electronics from semi-trucks, and Brian thinks he’s figured out who’s responsible.
He suspects the muscular and brooding Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), along with his crew Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Leon (Johnny Strong), Vince (Matt Schulze), and others. In order to get closer to Dominic and earn his respect, Brian thrusts himself into the dangerous world of street racing.
To its credit, The Fast and the Furious does a very good job with all of its car-related content. With the exception of a few silly lines of dialogue and an excessive amount of gear-shifting, the movie understands cars and how to make them exciting. Whether it’s a crash sequence, a high-speed chase, or a simple drag race, The Fast and the Furious makes for some awesome vehicular action.
While the camera work can be occasionally shaky, it does a great job of translating the pure speed of racing to the screen. Where the other elements of The Fast and the Furious tend to sag, the car content picks things up again.
In addition to the cool car chases and exciting explosions, The Fast and the Furious delivers a decent amount of heart and character. Nearly all of the cast are memorable and likable in some way, with the exception of some of Dom’s more machismo crew members.
There’s a believable romance sub-plot that doesn’t feel cheap or unearned, and the mystery surrounding the robberies is presented well. Although the movie’s script is less-than-savory from time to time, the overall story is one that is surprisingly solid given the genre and topic.
The Bottom Line
Overall, The Fast and the Furious is a fun movie with its fair share of flaws. While some of the dialogue can be mediocre and downright silly, the movie makes up for it with a decent story of family and friendship. The movie packs a lot of exciting action into its approximately 1 hour and 40-minute runtime and delivers a self-contained story that also leaves room for expansion. If you’re slightly interested in racing and you’re looking for something a bit different from your standard action movie, give The Fast and the Furious a try.
