Starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster. Directed by Gary Troudsdale and Kirk Wise. Rated PG-13.

How do I review a movie like The Fast and the Furious? It accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, which is provide realistic, exciting car races, chases and crashes. It does very little more. This presents a dilemma: do I recommend the film on the basis of that accomplishment, or do I give it a "thumbs down" because it accomplishes nothing else? I don't know, so I'm wimping out and going borderline.

The Fast and the Furious claims to take us inside the underworld of illegal street racing. Brian (Paul Walker), is a police officer assigned to expose the racers and the smuggling ring they might be running (this is the first movie I've seen where people actually smuggle DVD players; I'd like to see it in 20 years). Vin Diesel, who came out of nowhere with Boiler Room last year, plays Dominic, a revered, respected street lord and racing champion.

Brian has trouble getting in, at first -- Dominic's cronies start a fight, and he makes a bad impression on the big guy's sister -- but he enters a race by betting his new, loaded racecar, loses it, and gains Dominic's favor. What follows is a predictable battle of loyalties; will Brian betray Dominic by turning him in, or will he become a criminal for the sake of his new friend? We know, of course, that the movie will somehow find a way to have its cake and eat it, too.

Director Rob Cohen, the Harvard graduate responsible for The Skulls, last year's worst movie, has made what's really a niche film (though the current box-office shows that this is one hell of a niche). Since it has made so much money, I won't say that it will only be of interest to certain people, but it should particularly appeal to car lovers and those who watch NASCAR in their spare time (I never understood what was so appealing about watching cars go around in circles).

Make no mistake, The Fast and the Furious really does do some neat things with cars. The movie has real stunts, as opposed to the computer generated crashes in Renny Harlin's Driven, and the chase and crash scenes are extraordinarily good-looking. There's little actual suspense because there's zero interest in the plot once you get beyond the dubious appeal of the actors themselves, but the racing -- whee, look how fast they're going! -- is second to none.

If the filmmakers didn't intend to give up on the narrative, which it looks like they did, their project could have benefited from a better leading man; Paul Walker is such a non-actor that his dull, idiotic stare is almost funny to watch. Vin Diesel is a terrific actor in the right role, but this movie concentrates too much on his noble side and doesn't let him do what he does best, which is be a badass.

And that's about it. If that doesn't interest you, don't pay to see this movie. If you do, seek out the best multiplex in town; I don't understand the argument that The Fast and the Furious should be seen at a drive-in with a bad sound system and an obstructed view, but maybe I'm just too young. This is a movie to be seen and occasionally heard. If you like cars, that is.

Grade: B-

©2001 Eugene Novikov