Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Better than the last two, but still pretty mindless action.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Fast & Furious
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 21 parent reviews
Parents say this movie features considerable violence, sexual content, and strong language, which make it unsuitable for younger audiences. While some viewers found it to be a fun and entertaining ride with thrilling action scenes, others expressed disappointment in the weak plot and character development, suggesting that it might be better suited for older teens and adults.
- violence awareness
- strong language
- entertaining action
- inappropriate for kids
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 39 kid reviews
Kids say that this movie offers a thrilling blend of action and drama, centering around street racing, crime, and personal loss, but it has been criticized for excessive violence, strong language, and not being suitable for younger audiences. While many fans appreciate its excitement and character development, some feel it lacks the essence of earlier installments and should carry a stricter rating due to its content.
- action-packed
- excessive violence
- strong language
- character development
- not for kids
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
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?
With its ubiquitous muscle cars, sexy babes, and a catchy soundtrack, this sequel 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 writer Chris Morgan (who also wrote Wanted and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) has made Fast & Furious so angsty. 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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the the fact that, except for two or three women, most of Fast & Furious' 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?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 3, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : July 28, 2009
- Cast : Michelle Rodriguez , Paul Walker , Vin Diesel
- Director : Justin Lin
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Multiracial Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references
- Last updated : February 13, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate