Fast and Furious (12A)

Apr 21 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

ALL-AMERICAN action man Vin Diesel gets all revved-up in Justin Lin’s Fast and Furious.

The appropriately named Diesel (41) gets behind the wheel as Dom Toretto for the fourth time, an illegal street-racer intent on revenge after his girlfriend (played by Michelle Rodriguez) is killed by a Central American drug cartel.

Former partner-in-crime Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), now an FBI agent, is also on the tail of the mysterious “Braga” – albeit for more legitimate reasons – and the two sworn enemies unite with spectacular consequences.

As expected, a series of full-throttle car chases ensue as the leading men swap more conventional policing methods for souped-up motors.

Complete with the usual thumping hip-hop soundtrack and gaggle of glamorous pit girls, fans of the previous three outings – which first hit the big-screen in 2001 – will not be disappointed.

However a distinct lack of any real plot, unlike similar action franchises such as Jason Statham’s Transporter series, means anyone not in the boy racer crowd will be reaching for the brake pedal. Rating 2/5.