---
title: "Fast & Furious"
year: 2009
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/fast-and-furious"
fi1m_id: "fast-and-furious"
imdb_id: "tt1013752"
tmdb_id: 13804
wikidata_id: "Q380996"
fi1m_score: 54
critics_score: 50
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-10-05T11:33:01.533505+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T11:33:02.099108+00:00"
region: "BR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Fast & Furious (2009)

Directed by Justin Lin · 1h 47m · ClassInd 12 · Action, Crime, Thriller

## Identity

Fast & Furious

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/fast-and-furious
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** fast-and-furious
- **IMDb ID:** tt1013752
- **TMDB ID:** 13804
- **Wikidata ID:** Q380996
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013752/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/13804, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380996

**Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 50 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* The old gang gets back together and then spends half the film in a tunnel where nobody can see them

> Diesel and Walker back in the same frame give this fourth film a pulse, and the opening tanker heist is properly staged. Then Justin Lin drives everybody into a tunnel under the border and switches off the lights.

## Synopsis

Dominican Republic. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), with Han (Sung Kang) and Tego (Tego Calderón), hijack a fuel lorry on a mountain road. The law is closing in, so Dom leaves Letty while she sleeps and keeps moving. In Los Angeles, FBI agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) is chasing a heroin trafficker nobody has seen, whose drivers are hired through a middleman, Ramon Campos (John Ortiz). Then word comes that Letty has been killed, and Dom comes home to Los Angeles, to his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and to a stretch of road he means to read for himself. His search and Brian’s case lead to the same street race, where the prize is a job driving for Campos and his enforcer Fenix (Laz Alonso).

## Review

*Fast & Furious* is the fourth film in the series, and its tagline, “New model. Original parts.”, is a fair description of the sale. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) are in the same film for the first time since 2001. Chris Morgan’s script brings Dom home to Los Angeles with a grievance, puts Brian there as an FBI agent with a case, and makes sure they are after the same man. That is the plot.

The opening is the best thing here. On a mountain road in the Dominican Republic, Dom, Letty, Han (Sung Kang) and Tego (Tego Calderón) steal the tanks off a moving fuel lorry one at a time, Letty on the bonnet of a car unhooking the couplings while the trailers swing behind her. Amir Mokri shoots it in plain daylight, so every hook and chain can be read, and Fred Raskin and Christian Wagner cut it so we always know where the lorry is, where the cars are and how close the bend is. Lin made *Tokyo Drift*, the third film, and this is him showing he can stage a chase in the open.

Diesel and Walker are the other reason to be here. Diesel plays Dom as a man who has decided to say as little as possible and let his shoulders do the talking, and it fits him better than it did eight years ago. Walker’s Brian has stopped pretending to his bosses that he knows which side he is on. When the two are in a room the film has a pulse. Morgan writes them a running argument about who let whom go, and neither actor pushes it.

There is a scene early on where Dom walks a stretch of road and the film shows us what he is working out from the skid marks and the glass. Diesel, who has never been an actor for showing his working, lets his face go slack, and Brian Tyler’s score, which thuds through most of the film, goes quiet. It moved us more than a film of this kind usually manages. It is also the only time the film trusts a still shot.

The night race through Los Angeles is good too: a satnav voice calling the turns, drivers picking their own routes through traffic, Mokri lighting it in sodium orange and headlight white. It is how Dom and Brian get hired by Ramon Campos (John Ortiz), who needs drivers for a heroin trafficker nobody has met.

Then the film goes underground. The work the drivers are hired for runs through tunnels under the Mexican border, and Lin shoots them as dust, rock and headlamps, with the camera a foot off the bumpers. Raskin and Wagner cut in half-second pieces, and we could not tell which car was which or who was ahead. After a while we stopped trying, and then we were cross about having stopped. The film returns there for its finale, which we will not describe except to say it is darker still. Ida Random’s tunnels look like the same hundred yards of set redressed, and the computer help with the driving shows: cars kiss rock and nothing happens, and the weight the opening heist had goes missing.

Set against the series’ own standard, this is a stranger film than the first. Rob Cohen’s [*The Fast and the Furious*](https://film.one/film/the-fast-and-the-furious) was a sunny, borrowed thing about small cars and who sits at Sunday dinner. This one has heroin, federal agents and a funeral, and the racing that was once the point has become a job interview. Sanja Milkovic Hays keeps Dom in the white vest and Letty in leather, so the costumes at least remember what the series was.

Most critics landed in the middle, won by the reunion and lost in the tunnels, and so did we. Watch it for the first half hour and the race. When the lights go out under the border you may find yourself reaching to turn up the brightness, and it will not help.

*Fi1m score 54, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics land in the middle, and the praise clusters in one place: the reunion of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Review after review names their chemistry as the main reason to watch, and several single out the opening stretch, an early heist and a night-time Los Angeles street race, as the film doing what it does best. Justin Lin gets a few kind words for keeping the pace brisk, and The Hollywood Reporter goes further, crediting him with stronger character work than the chases alone would suggest.

The reservations start once the film leaves the streets. The dark, cramped tunnel chases of the second half are faulted for hard-to-follow editing, and some reviews object that the drug-running plot pushes the street racing aside. The spread is wide: Variety calls it the weakest entry in the series, while Empire blames computer-enhanced car action for losing the original’s grit. Even the warmer notices concede the later chases repeat themselves.

## Straight answers

**Is Fast & Furious worth watching?**

*Fast & Furious* is a mixed proposition, and we scored it 54. The opening fuel-lorry heist in the Dominican Republic and the night race through Los Angeles are well staged, and Vin Diesel and Paul Walker back in the same frame give the film a pulse. Then it heads into tunnels under the border, where the editing turns to half-second pieces and we lost track of who was driving what.

**How long is Fast & Furious, and what is it rated?**

*Fast & Furious* runs 1h 47m and is rated 12 by the ClassInd in Brazil. It is an action and crime film.

**Where can I watch Fast & Furious in Brazil?**

*Fast & Furious* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in Brazil, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from R$6.90. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Fast & Furious compare to 2 Fast 2 Furious?**

*Fast & Furious* is the darker and more serious film, while [*2 Fast 2 Furious*](https://film.one/film/2-fast-2-furious) is lighter, with a routine crime plot carried by the Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson double act. The later film has the better single sequence in its opening tanker heist and the reunion of the original cast, but its tunnel finale is hard to follow. Choose the earlier film for racing and humour, this one for Diesel and Walker together.

**Do you need to have seen the other Fast & Furious films before Fast & Furious?**

*Fast & Furious* is the fourth film in the series and can be followed without having seen the others, since Chris Morgan's script explains who Dom and Brian are and why they want the same man. The weight of seeing Diesel, Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster together again lands harder if you know the first film. It is a workable starting point, though not the best one.

**What should I watch after Fast & Furious?**

After *Fast & Furious*, try [*The Fast and the Furious*](https://film.one/film/the-fast-and-the-furious) (2001, Fi1m 72): Where it began: cheaper, sunnier, and still the clearest statement of what the series is about. Then [*Point Break*](https://film.one/film/point-break) (1991, Fi1m 82): The undercover agent who falls for the crew, done with surf and real conviction; and [*Ronin*](https://film.one/film/ronin) (1998, Fi1m 80): John Frankenheimer’s Paris chases, shot in daylight so you can see every gear change.

**What order should I watch the Fast & Furious films in?**

Release order is the safe choice for Fast & Furious, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/fast-and-furious) lists them in. *Fast & Furious* is number 3 of the 9 Fast & Furious titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*2 Fast 2 Furious*](https://film.one/film/2-fast-2-furious) and after it [*Fast & Furious 6*](https://film.one/film/fast-and-furious-6). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/fast-and-furious.md)

### Reviews we read (14)

- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (70/100, inferred): The review finds the film a smart, energetic return to the franchise, with stronger character development alongside its chases. It praises Justin Lin’s balance of dramatic moments and character flow with hyper-action. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fast-amp-furious-film-review-93021/)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. No review details are available in the returned page text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/movies/03fast.html)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (C+): Phipps finds the film agreeably dopey but says it loses momentum after an engaging opening. He praises the early heist and the chemistry between Diesel and Walker, while criticizing the poorly choreographed, claustrophobic climax. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/fast-furious-1798205976)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (2.5/4): Ebert gives the film a mixed verdict, finding it an energetic but thin action spectacle. He singles out the reunion of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as a strength. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fast-and-furious-2009)
- **Time Out**, Derek Adams (3/5): Adams gives the film three out of five stars, suggesting a middling verdict. The available page text highlights the reunion of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker but provides no specific praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fast-furious-1)
- **Total Film**, Neil Smith (3/5): The review finds the film a familiar, messy return to the franchise, with its leads’ reunion the main point of interest. It praises the LA road race but criticizes the dark, claustrophobic tunnel action and hard-to-follow editing. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/fast-and-furious-review/)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (2/5): Jones finds the fourth film weak and creatively exhausted. He criticizes its drug-running plot for sidelining the street-racing that defined the franchise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kpg6ck/fast-furious)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (30/100, inferred): Newman judges it a crushing disappointment, saying its stars are largely on cruise control. He particularly faults the computer-enhanced car action for lacking the original’s grit and excitement. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fast-furious-2-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Xan Brooks (30/100, inferred): Brooks finds the film confused and irritable despite its brisk pace. He singles out the repetitive car chases and calls the plot inconsequential excess baggage. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/10/fast-and-furious-film-review)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (10/100, inferred): McCarthy calls it the weakest entry in the series, criticizing its hollow posturing and incoherent action. He singles out the tired, recycled script as the film’s central failure. [Read](https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/fast-furious-1200507374/)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty (70/100, inferred): Carty finds it a worthwhile return to the original’s story, though it does not match the first film. He praises the lead actors’ chemistry while noting that the later chase scenes become repetitive and over-the-top. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/fast-furious-film-review-by-stephen-carty)
- **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (3/5): Lambie finds the film muddled but ultimately watchable as trashy entertainment. He praises the rooftop pursuit and spectacular night-time race, while criticizing the tonal shifts and limp finale. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fast-furious-dvd-review/)
- **HeyUGuys**, David Sztypuljak (5/10): The critic finds the film disappointing and says it fails to live up to the franchise. They praise the effects but complain that the story is implausible and the cars have lost their novelty. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/review-fast-and-furious/)
- **Paste**, Jeffrey Bloomer (35/100, inferred): Bloomer finds the film amusing in places but ultimately underwhelming. He particularly faults its incompetent action sequences and muddled sense of what the story is about. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/justin-lin/fast-furious)

## Details

- **Director:** Justin Lin
- **Director:** Justin Lin
- **Writer:** Chris Morgan
- **Cinematography:** Amir Mokri
- **Editor:** Fred Raskin, Christian Wagner
- **Music:** Brian Tyler
- **Production design:** Ida Random
- **Costume design:** Sanja Milkovic Hays
- **Producer:** Vin Diesel, Michael Fottrell, Neal H. Moritz
- **Cast:** Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto; Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner; Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz; Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto; John Ortiz as Ramon Campos; Laz Alonso as Fenix Calderon; Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar; Jack Conley as Penning
- **Runtime:** 1h 47m
- **Certificate (ClassInd):** 12
- **Release (Brazil):** 24 April 2009
- **Genres:** Action, Crime, Thriller
- **Part of:** [Fast & Furious](https://film.one/collections/fast-and-furious.md) · 3 of 9
- **Budget:** $85 million
- **Box office:** $363 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne5E7hOQqn0

## Where to watch in Brazil

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming, uhd
- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent R$6.90, uhd
- Apple TV: rent R$9.90, hd
- Apple TV: buy R$29.90, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy R$29.90, uhd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Fast and the Furious* (2001), Fi1m 72: Where it began: cheaper, sunnier, and still the clearest statement of what the series is about. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-fast-and-the-furious.md)
- *Point Break* (1991), Fi1m 82: The undercover agent who falls for the crew, done with surf and real conviction. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/point-break.md)
- *Ronin* (1998), Fi1m 80: John Frankenheimer’s Paris chases, shot in daylight so you can see every gear change. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ronin.md)
- *The Driver* (1978): Walter Hill’s wordless getaway man; the car film stripped down to its chassis.
- *Taxi* (1998): Marseille, a souped-up Peugeot and a Luc Besson script that never takes itself seriously.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/fast-and-furious