Starring: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez
Directed by: Rob Cohen
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 107 minutes
Universal Pictures
Film Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
4K Score: 5 out of 5 Stars
I still remember where I was when I first watched 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious.” It’s not necessarily because the movie is iconic. It’s because when you’re on a four-hour class trip to St. Louis in an era before smartphones or even portable DVD players, you watch whatever movie they put on the bus. One for the girls, “Legally Blonde,” and one for the boys, the aforementioned film. For an impressionable teenager who couldn’t even drive yet, it left an impression. 25 years later, it still does.
If you’ve only watched the franchise films released over the past decade, you might be surprised by just how different the original “The Fast and the Furious” is. LAPD Officer Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) goes undercover to investigate a heist crew using modified Honda Civics to hijack trucks. It’s there he meets Dom (Vin Diesel), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Mia (Jordana Brewster) and others who would eventually become staples of the franchise.
The evolution of the series is bizarre. Watching the original today almost feels like watching an entirely different franchise. It’s a gritty action film that owes more to “Point Break” than the globe-trotting blockbusters that followed, but instead of breaking waves, speed limits are obliterated and cars are nearly demolished in some breathtaking stunts that still hold up in 2026. The modern films are bloated with CGI, speeches about family and increasingly absurd action sequences, almost becoming parodies of their former selves. That being said, I still highly enjoy the franchise for what it has become.
What makes “The Fast and the Furious” special 25 years later is how increasingly rare this kind of car movie feels. Films like 2003’s “The Italian Job” and Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver” have captured some of that same thrill, where the cars aren’t simply transportation between action scenes—they’re integral to the action itself. There’s something tangible about watching these machines speed through streets, scrape against pavement and occasionally get completely destroyed.
That’s what elevates “The Fast and the Furious” to near-classic status for me. Studios don’t seem nearly as willing to take chances on relatively grounded car-action movies like this anymore. Maybe someday the genre will come roaring back. Until then, “The Fast and the Furious” remains a fascinating reminder of what this franchise used to be.
4K Review
EW 4K Master of the Film
Dolby Vision/HDR Presentation of the Film
Dolby Atmos Audio Track
Riding a Legacy: 25 Years of Fast: Cast and crew reflect on the past two and a half decades.
Deleted Scenes: There are about nine deleted and extended scenes in this feature.
The Making of “The Fast and the Furious”: Cast and crew discuss the making of this film.
More Than Furious: An alternate ending.
Hot Off the Street: Extra scenes.
Dom’s Charger: A look at Dom’s Charger featured in the film.
Quarter Mile at a Time: A historic look at street racing.
Tricking Out a Hot Import Car: A technical advisor on the film discusses cars.
Multiple Camera Angle – Stunt Sequence
Movie Magic Interactive – Special Effects
Featurette on Editing for the MPAA
Visual Effects Montage
Storyboard-to-Final Feature Comparison
Ja Rule “Furious” Music Video
Speed News Wrap
Feature Audio Commentary with Director Rob Cohen