On the turbo-charged streets of Los Angeles, every night is a championship race. With nitro-boosted fury, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), rules the road, turning all his challengers into dust. He and his rival, Johnny Tran (Rick Yune), are the boldest, the baddest and the best. Now, there’s new rage on the road. They know he’s tough, they know he’s fast, but what they don’t know is that he’s a speed-crazed detective (Paul Walker) with enough drive and determination to come out the winner. With intense full-throttle action, awesome high-speed stunts and full-on, pedal-to-the-metal intensity, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS puts you in the driver’s seat and dares you to exceed all limits. (from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

I'm sure when Universal debuted The Fast and The Furious in 2001, they had no idea the cultural phenomenon it would become. Honestly? I can't say I really get it. I think the first film is the only one I've ever seen in the 10-film series, and I remember it not leaving much of a lasting impression when I saw it almost 25 years ago. Since then, the franchise has absolutely exploded and bloomed, spawning nine sequels, a spin-off, a planned final entry of the main storyline for 2028, and even a Universal Studios Orlando ride. It's amazing.

So, with a new 25th Anniversary 4K UHD release, I thought it might be a good time to revisit it and see how its origin has aged over the decades since. First off, I was pretty impressed with the 4K picture. It's sharp and colorful, with the expected 2001 film grain. It does look dated to that time period, but this transfer is truly impressive. I think it's one of those films that, if you dug out an original DVD copy and put that picture side-by-side with this one, your mind would short circuit. But yeah - fans will probably adore this newly remastered transfer.

The movie itself is... fine. Paul Walker (God rest his soul) had never really been a great actor. He's passable in this as Brian, but I imagine a better actor would have suited the role better (not that Walker seemed to hinder the franchise much at all. Ha). Vin Diesel is great as Dom, and Jordana Brewster is memorable as his sister, Mia, but one thing that really stuck out to me with this watch is just how abysmal the dialog is. (And some of the acting doesn't help it.) There's so much cheese here, it's mindboggling. It amazes me that this was the film to launch such a successful car-centric franchise. The whole "undercover cop befriends outlaw" is a pretty tired concept, too. (Isn't that what 1991's Point Break did almost beat-for-beat?) Still, this concept worked wonders for audiences. I can't say much for how the sequels compare (they always looked absolutely bonkers from the trailers I've seen), but as a standalone movie, The Fast and The Furious feels mostly forgettable.

The content is pretty edgy for PG-13. There's one clear use of the "F" word (from Ja Rule), and then almost 40 uses of the "S" word, several clear uses of blasphemy, and an array of other colorful phrases. The sexual content warning in the MPAA is warranted, too. While we don't see any direct sex scenes, we see a couple in bed after unseen intimacy (and looking like they're starting things up again before the scene ends), as well as Dom and his girlfriend Letty heating up while kissing in their garage. We see young people drinking at a party and making out, with comments about sexual behavior made then, too. And there's a totally random moment where Mia disrobes in front of her mirror to make herself look more presentable and we see a flash of the side of her bare chest in the dim lighting (which is probably clearer and more visible in 4K, actually). There's zero positive spiritual content, as you can probably imagine, but during a backyard barbecue scene, Dom makes Jesse say grace, and he stammers through it, asking for a blessing from the "heavenly spirit," with Letty jokingly giving him props for praying to "the car gods." There is some violence throughout the film, but most of it is pretty bloodless till about the last act when several somewhat bloody moments occur. The worst is when a truck-jacker gets his arm entangled with a tethered cable and it cuts into his skin. There is also some gunshot wound bloody after-effects as well. Overall, it's a harsh PG-13 that contains quite a bit of mature content and pushes the rating's envelope.

What exactly works about The Fast and The Furious then? Good question. For me, personally? Not a whole lot. But I guess the car-racing action and cool vibes of the way Rob Cohen shot the film works for a lot of audiences -- even if it often feels more like a feature-length music video at times than a real movie. There is some suspense involving Brian's undercover involvement with Dom's team and their efforts to try to stop the highway robberies, and despite there not being strong chemistry there, it's easy to want to see Brian and Mia get together.

Well, after 25 years, revisiting The Fast and The Furious on its Anniversary 4K release merely reminded me that it's just not my kind of movie. I'm, personally, still surprised it spawned such a massive and successful franchise. While it first released on 4K on 2018, this new 25th Anniversary edition is "newly remastered" and it shows. I doubt this film has ever looked better. So if this franchise is your particular cup of tea, and you're a fan of the original, I imagine this release is one you'll want to fire up the NOS for and snag for yourself.

- John DiBiase (reviewed: 8/18/26)

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD & DIGITAL:

• RIDING A LEGACY: 25 YEARS OF FAST (NEW! AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL & DISC) 

• Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodrigez, Jordana Brewster, producer Neal Moritz and Meadow Walker reflect on 25 years of The Fast and The Furious in Cannes.

• DELETED SCENES

• Brian and Mia Walk to her Car
• Tanner and Brian in Police House
• Brian and Jesse Outside Toretto’s Garage
• Trading Driving Stories
• Hector and Brian at the Racer’s Edge
• Brian and Mia at the Beach
• Original Edit of the Ferrari Scene (Extended Scene)
• Extension of Race Wars Fight Scene (Extended Scene)
• Hot Off The Street

• THE MAKING OF THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS

• Delve deeper into the world of THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS with inside info on cast, crew and cars.

• MORE THAN FURIOUS

• Alternate ending for THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS

• HOT OFF THE STREET

• Brian and Mia at Lunch Counter
• Leon, Jesse and Dom at Toretto’s House
• Toretto House BBQ
• Toretto’s Garage Post Race Raid (Alternate Version)
• Ferrari and Supra Race

• DOM’S CHARGER

• Take a look at the role that Dom’s Charger played in FAST 1 and tease its rebirth in FAST 4

• QUARTER MILE AT A TIME

• Look at the phenomenon of street racing, from its birth in the 20’s into a global phenomenon

• TRICKING OUT A HOT IMPORT CAR

• Join Craig Lieberman, technical advisor on THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, as he tricks out a Mitsubishi Lancer, Evolution addressing the three main areas: speed, style and sound.

• MULTIPLE CAMERA ANGLE – STUNT SEQUENCE
• MOVIE MAGIC INTERACTIVE – SPECIAL EFFECTS
• FEATURETTE ON EDITING FOR THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

• See how to edit for graphic content while maintaining the integrity of the scene.

• VISUAL EFFECTS MONTAGE

• From hand drawn and computer story boarding to green screen effects, this montage gives you a 360 degree look at the production of an epic racing scene

• STORYBOARDS-TO-FINAL FEATURE COMPARISON

• Choose to view storyboards in real time as the scenes play from “The First Race” and the “Final Crash Stunt” or view separately

• JA RULE “FURIOUS” MUSIC VIDEO
• SPEED NEWS WRAP
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR ROB COHEN