Fast and Furious (2009)

"You're a lucky man."

"How's that?"

"You're still breathing"

Dominic Toretto (Diesel) has been on the run for 5 years. After pulling a job with his girlfriend Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez), Dom feels the police are on their trail. He leaves everyone behind, until his sister Mia (Brewster) calls with the new that Letty was murdered. Dom is heartbroken and comes home to avenge the woman he loved.

Brian O'Conner (Walker) is now working for the FBI. His team is tracking a deadly drug dealer named Braga. This puts him at odds with Dom who is also looking for Braga. Can they put aside their history to take down Braga and his team?

This is the 4th film in the Fast and Furious franchise, following The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), and 

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). To date there are 6 subsequent films in the franchise: Fast Five (2011), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

This film reunites some of the team from the original film. The filmmakers (director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan, returning from the 3rd film) wisely put Vin Diesel's Dom and Paul Walker's Brian at odds and reluctantly working together again.

The heist at the beginning of the film catches your attention right away. It also features a cameo by Sung Kang as Han, which sets this film earlier than #3.

The Bad:

Even with the introduction of a third female cast member, Gal Gadot's Gisele, and the return of both Michelle Rodriguez (briefly) and Jordana Brewster, the women are still mostly eye candy.

The acting is still rough.

Other Comments:

-Short film Los Bandoleros sets up the scene from the beginning of this film and how Dom started working with Han, Leo, and Santos.

-An 11th and final film is planned for the franchise. 

-Puerto Rican singers Tego Calderón and Don Omar are funny as new characters Leo and Santos, who make the most of their brief appearances. 

Fast and Furious (2009) 107 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references.

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto

John Ortiz as Ramon Campos

Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar

Laz Alonso as Fenix Calderon

Sung Kang as Han Lue

Ron Yuan as David Park

Tego Calderón as Leo

Don Omar as Santos

Shea Whigham as Michael Stasiak

Liza Lapira as Sophie Trinh