Fast & Furious

Qualitatively on the same level as the first one. Diesel smoothly returns to the role of the ultimate road pro, which, whether we like it or not, was the pinnacle of his career. Paul Walker in the meantime has grown to become the second ultimate pro (remember Running Scared?) and this shows in the movie. This movie is more about revenge and restoring old ties than it is about cars, but it certainly isn’t a problem. Given where the series was recently headed, this is a pleasant return to its roots, and as far as I’m concerned, I'd be happy to hang out with this group a third time round. (06/05/2009)

Gal Gadot entered the Fast & Furious franchise with this installment, and that's about the only reason to wade through this silly mess. These formerly simple action films used to feature second-rate beauties such as Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, but only Gadot has made it to Wonder Woman. (04/19/2022)

Good and unpretentious entertainment slightly above the level of the first part. The characters aren't very complex but it doesn't matter at all because I trusted the actors; the action scenes are honest (except maybe the overly digital finale of the first one) and it all paces and progresses nicely thanks to Justin Lin's direction and Brian Tyler's music. I would have loved to see the final dusty chase in the cinema. (05/04/2020)

Even worse than I expected. Even though the original cast is there and it looks like a dignified sequel, the screenwriters cook up something crazy they call a script, and they throw in some cars, crazy digital chases in tunnels, and the classic masculine charisma of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, and it doesn't work. For car enthusiasts, it will be torture because there are only a few really good chases. For action movie fans, it will also be a tough nut to crack because there is a lot of action, but it's not worth anything. And for fans of the main characters, it will just be a sad nostalgic memory of the first and only original installment. A very botched thing. (08/01/2009)

Return to the days when action heroes deserved endless admiration. Although some things may creak, especially the plot or Brian's investigative methods, I still enjoy it just the same. Everyone involved from the first installment literally shines in a grand opportunity, and the action continues to take my breath away, to my delight and slight relief. The threat that history would repeat itself with a decline in quality was proven to be the exact opposite, as the reboot, instead of copying the original in its uniqueness, opened doors to a scale many times larger. The fourth installment will remain unique in the series precisely because it hinted at future things while remaining a nostalgic spectacle with classic elements such as revenge or a love story. (04/08/2009)