But it turns out to be a sort of Burning Man festival for very focused drivers, set around an abandoned government base in the middle of the California desert, and other than a little drag racing and a small forward movement in the story, nothing much actually happens there. For instance, there are a number of references to something called "Race Wars" that seemingly everyone in the film - except the cops - is looking forward to. It does fall short a couple of times while hinting for even bigger and better things, then holding back a little. It's because the film simply delivers on what it promises - it's an exercise in adrenaline, and the energy level hardly ever flags. It's not because the dialogue is riveting (it's not) or the acting is all that outstanding (it's just OK). Toss in some business about Brian getting involved with Dom's gorgeous sister Mia (Jordana Brewster, who wisely appears here without the ghastly glasses she wore in The Faculty), a rivalry between Brian and bad guy driver Vincent (Matt Schulze from Boys and Girls) and even an entire gang of territorial malevolent Asian drivers, and the film has the makings of falling into formula. Well, the film's first showcase of insane driving happens about 30 seconds into it the first fistfight is about eight minutes in it's only a short while later that we discover Brian is an undercover cop, doing this particular job with high hopes of it earning him his detective's badge. Enter Brian (wavy-haired, big-eyed Paul Walker from Varsity Blues), who kind of happens into town driving one souped-up machine - and driving it very well - hoping to become part of the scene by challenging apparent leader Dom (amazingly deep-voiced Vin Diesel from Boiler Room) to a test of speed. And the cops are pretty sure these crimes and those street racers are connected. There's a whole other story on top of that one concerning a hijacking ring - big rigs are being commandeered out on the roads by armed masked men masterfully driving fast cars. ![]() But this isn't, as the ads make it appear, just about the well-built, good-looking guys and their tough, impossibly beautiful women who populate the strange netherworld where cool cars are everything and driving them hard provides kicks for all. It just so happens that those sounds mix quite well with blazing guitars, and the soundtrack is generously loaded with plenty of them. By Ed Symkus The only adjective missing from the title in this movie about illegal street racing in Los Angeles is the word "loud," and that's not only in reference to the myriad revving engines and screeching tires.
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