Fast & Furious (PG-13, 2009)

common sense media says

Better than the last two, but still pretty mindless action.


parents & educators say
  • 43% say violence is an issue
  • 43% say sexual content is an issue

More on Fast & Furious

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about the the fact that, except for two or three women, most of the movie's female characters are sexy decoration. What kind of message does that send to girls? Do you think the filmmakers care, or are they going after an entirely different audience?
  • What do you think of the idea that some people live by a "code" and others don't? Does following your own set of rules mean that it's OK to do illegal or other iffy things if you think you have a good reason? Which characters in the movie have a code, and which don't?

What's the story?

What's the story?
The original crew is back, and they're all still FAST & FURIOUS. Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), are running a profitable gas-stealing scheme in the Dominican Republic when he gets a tip that the feds are after him again. Afraid to endanger his friends, he splits to Panama, where his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), eventually calls with awful news. Driven by a need for vengeance, Dom returns to the streets of L.A., where he's determined to catch the thug who's wronged him. To that end, he reluctantly teams up with Paul Walker's FBI Agent Brian O'Conner (who decieved Dom in the original movie) to bring down the head of an international drug ring.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

With its ubiquitous muscle cars, sexy babes, and a catchy soundtrack, Fast & Furious is sure to entertain its target audience of young males looking for some hard-bodied eye candy. Devotees of the franchise should also be particularly pleased with the return of Diesel and the underappreciated Rodriguez, who's especially exciting to watch in the opening chase sequence.

What's disappointing is how angsty writer Chris Morgan (who also wrote Wanted and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) has made this seemingly final installment. Walker is incapable of looking animated, so why give him rambling monologues about respect and codes of conduct? Diesel doesn't grieve so much as squint and grimace, yet viewers are subjected to scene after scene of him trying to act wistful, like when he stares at an old photograph or the car he and Letty restored. Let's get real -- people don't care about Dom's feelings, they just want to see him rev his engine in unbelievable chase sequences. The rest is filler.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 105 minutes
Theatrical release: April 3, 2009
DVD release: July 28, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references
Watch our review

This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
 
 

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Based on 14 parent & educator reviews:
  • 43% say violence is an issue
  • 43% say sexual content is an issue
 
Consistantly Average.
Okay, this is the thing: this wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't a good one either. It was... well, it was just same-old, same-old. I've seen it before; sure, the opening was good (the flipping gasoline truck was a little new), but I saw it in the trailer! So, I pay ten bucks to see a movie I've already seen three versions of?! The first was good. Never saw the second. The third was horrible. The fourth is pretty much the first one, only with a few "new-old" tricks. Not worth it; just see the first one. It's pretty much the same thing, except a little better; probably because this one was such a let down. It had "Nothing new here..." written all over it!

Unixcorn Dinorawr
kid, 11 years old
 
Good Movie!!
I Really like this Movie because I love all the action!! Even My 7-YEAR-OLD brother loves it!!

Plague
parent
 
Fast & Furious
Definitely better than the last 2, and more speed, adrenaline, and sweet cars. I recommend this movie for ALL Fast and Furious lovers.

moparman9
teen, 14 years old
 
good
love it but number2 is better

mlb444
adult
 
Better than the previous ones.
Well its quite fair on actionn and violence but there are lots of lesbian scenes my cousin had to shut cover my eyes about, some language but pre teeens r gonna love this action flick.

TheSuperman765
teen, 16 years old
 
i rate this title IFFY for ages 12+
What to watch out for * Messages: Although they engage in ongoing illegal activity and plenty of other iffy behavior, Dom and his loved ones are tight-knit and occasionally do the right thing. The government, particularly the FBI, is depicted as ineffective and caring more about how they're perceived than about stopping crime. * Role models: Dom is a vigilante motivated by vengeance and grief -- but he helps bring a criminal to justice. On the positive side, the two female supporting characters are strong, and the cast is impressively culturally diverse. * Violence: Explosions, gun fights, bloody fistfights, fatal car chases, and a few disturbing deaths -- someone is purposely mowed down by a car, and someone else is murdered execution style. * Sex: Although there's no nudity, bikini-clad women are shown throughout the film, and in several scenes half-dressed women are shown kissing each other. A man sucks on a woman's toes and encourages women to make out with each other. Two couples kiss passionately. * Language: Frequently used language includes "s--t," "p---y," "a-s," "bulls---t," "godd--n," "bi-ch," one use of "f--k," and Spanish curse words like cojones and chinga. * Consumerism: Automobile companies are well represented: Honda, Ford, Porsche, Nissan, Plymouth, and more. Also Corona beer and Castrol Motor Oil. * Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Characters drink cocktails, beer, and shots of hard liquor at several parties. Drugs are mentioned, offered, and shown wrapped up for delivery but never used. The Los Angeles-Mexican drug trade is a central plot point of the film. A few characters smoke cigarettes.

lolfaceman
teen, 16 years old
 
good movie

Neil13
teen, 14 years old
 
CBA
i've seen it, but can't remember it

homer1
parent of 11 year old
 

mattthemovieman
teen, 17 years old
 
pointless...
too much story!!!!! i want more action and violance!!!!!

4Spice
adult
 
very good movie
i loved the movie the actors were very good not very much violence more car racing if you want too understand the story better see the first fast and furious 12 and over

Prototype79043
teen, 16 years old
 
This movie is great. It's a street racing title, so the messages might not be great

ninjaman15
teen, 16 years old
 
I loved this movie. I mean whats not to like? Fast cars, action, girls...

eastside01
teen, 17 years old
 
Slow & Weak enough already!
I think after seeing the newest F&F that they should stop here. I thought bringing back the original characters would be better but this is the worse out of all of them. If you want to see reckless driving for an hour and a half go ahead but if you want to see something better continue living your life.

annabclark
parent of 2 year old
 

NFSRacer0210
teen, 15 years old
 
Not really for young kids.
This movie is not for any 13s are not mature yet, contains violence, bad words, and dangerous stunts. But is better than playing Mortal kombat or watching 300.

foxirox
teen, 16 years old
 
not good for anybody under 11
insane awesome action!!

markieis
teen, 16 years old
 

 
Not so Fast and Furious
I really didnt find this movie that great. Vin Disel did a good job on the acting but everyone else wasnt that great. There wasnt a lot of action till the end which made the movie pretty boring throughout (not what i think everyone expected). If you really need to see it wait till the DVD or Blu-Ray

xmasterxofxmyx ...
parent of 17 and 17 year old
 
entertaining, but it disappoints as a movie
i have seen all of the fast and furious movies, and after seeing this one, i still think the original is the best on in the series. this movie wasnt completely bad, but its not the best movie in theaters right now, it entertained, but the plot twist in the last third of the movie came as no surprise, the characters arent interesting, the plot is run of the mill, but if you like high octane, adrenaline pumping car races, this is your movie. just dont expect it to win any awards, (but maybe an mtv movie award, because they are stupid)

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