---
title: "The Fast and the Furious: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-fast-and-the-furious/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-fast-and-the-furious"
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 8
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."
---

# The Fast and the Furious (2001): what the critics said

Critics' score 60 from 8 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative.

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.

## Empire — Adam Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The critic finds the film deliriously entertaining despite its deliberately silly tone. The high-speed car chases and seamless mix of stunts and CGI stand out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fast-furious-review/)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 4/5. 

Jones praises the film as a high-energy action thriller that successfully launched a franchise. He singles out its customised cars, turbo-charged stunts and Vin Diesel’s screen presence.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-gbgdh3/the-fast-and-the-furious/)

## Evening Standard — The Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. 

The critic finds the film entertaining despite its less-than-smart script. The near-unbelievable practical stunts are singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-fast-and-the-furious-7433194.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 June 2016. 

Honeycutt finds the film an energetic, character-driven hit, despite a messy script and an implausible ending. He especially praises the heart-stopping stunts and Southern California location work.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fast-furious-2001-movie-review-905568/)

## Time Out — TCh

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review presents the film as enjoyable, unpretentious drive-in entertainment. It praises the way the teen hot-rod flick recalls the thrills of Roger Corman’s B-movies.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-fast-and-the-furious)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 22 June 2001. 

The accessible page does not expose the critic's verdict. It provides no praise or complaint to summarize.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/22/movies/film-review-getaway-drivers-take-note-this-one-s-made-for-you.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2001. 

Bradshaw gives the film a sharply negative verdict, finding its car-racing spectacle deafening and self-congratulatory. He singles out the relentless engine noise as the film’s most grating feature.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/sep/14/culture.reviews)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2001. 

The critic dismisses the film as a shallow, testosterone-driven commercial with an incoherent plot. He singles out its fetishistic focus on cars and male bodies, while finding the earlier street-gang films more seductive.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-fast-and-the-furious-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

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