Fast and The Furious, The MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -3

Daredevil drivers piloting high-performance street cars are hi-jacking big rig freight shipments right on the freeways. And the best place to recruit both drivers and their cars is among the young and fearless street-racers. Turning imported street autos into high performance racing machines, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is king of L.A.’s illegal, but thriving, street-racing scene. His charisma and prowess behind the wheel make him a cult-like figure in this shadow world of “street rockets.” Brian (Paul Walker), an L.A. cop under deep cover, tries to penetrate Dominic’s inner circle to discover who is behind the string of sensational truck hi-jackings. Before the truckers take the law into their own hands, Brian must reconcile his admiration and growing friendship with Dominic with his duty as a police officer. Falling in love with Dominic’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) complicates the issue. But the melodrama involving a beautiful array of shallow, stereotyped characters takes a backseat to innovative special effects and spectacular stunts. Younger audiences will be drawn to the fast cars and fast music of this high-octane adventure.

The film provides a strong, but confused message about loyalty. Brian demonstrates his loyalty to his new-found “family” of street racers by saving Dominic from arrest, but he sacrifices loyalty to his job as a policeman. The sexually charged mix of illegal racing, fast cars, and implied promiscuity paint an enticing picture. However, implied sexual activity, some graphic violence, such as a severe beating, and frequent obscenities are overshadowed by numerous action scenes with spectacular stunts and harrowing chases. The major caution flag is glamorization of the dangerous and illegal activity of street racing. If the number of teenage boys revving their engines and peeling out of the parking lot after the screening is any indication, young people may find it hard to resist imitating the high-energy race scenes. While car stunts in THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS entertain, obscenities, promotion of premarital sex, frequent violence, and questionable messages about loyalty indicate this film drives in the wrong direction.

Preview Reviewer: John Barber
Distributor: Universal Pictures, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608