Most critics find The Fast and the Furious entertaining despite its script, with praise concentrated on the car chases, practical stunts and customised cars. The favourable reviews value its energy and unpretentious approach to action, accepting the silliness as part of the appeal. Several find that the driving sequences supply enough excitement to compensate for weaknesses elsewhere. Radio Times also singles out Vin Diesel’s screen presence.
The divide is wide, with enthusiastic approval at one end and outright rejection at the other. Even supportive reviews acknowledge muddled writing, but the strongest objections concern the spectacle itself rather than just the plot. The Guardian finds the racing deafening and self-congratulatory, with relentless engine noise a particular irritation. Eye for Film dismisses the film as a shallow commercial, objecting to its incoherent plotting and fixation on cars and male bodies. What most critics enjoy, these dissenters find grating or empty.