Fast & Furious

Overheated, morally swerving action sequel in which an ex-con (Vin Diesel) pursuing a vendetta and an undercover FBI agent (Paul Walker) renew their rivalry as they both use their driving skills to infiltrate a cross-border drug smuggling ring and identify its secretive leader. As directed by Justin Lin, the thin story is no more than an excuse for long sequences of reckless racing, while the characters move from one side of the law to the other as it suits them. Vigilantism, brief nongraphic sexual activity, partial nudity, cohabitation, occasional rough language and profanity. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2009

Fast & Furious (Full Review)

"Nothing really matters unless you have a code," says a character in the overheated action sequel "Fast & Furious" (Universal/Relativity). Unfortunately, the code to which he and those around him subscribe frequently departs from both law and morality.

In fact, the opening scene shows ex-con Dom (Vin Diesel), the hero of the franchise's first installment, 2001's "The Fast and the Furious" -- this is the fourth in the series, but only the second with Dom as the central protagonist -- using his driving skills to lead a heist on a gasoline truck as it speeds down a highway in the Dominican Republic. Despite the fact that this caper terrorizes the innocent driver, it's presented as no more than an exhilarating lark.

The high spirits quickly crash, however, when Dom's former live-in girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is killed by a secretive drug lord whose identity remains mysterious for most of the film. Though a fugitive from justice himself, Dom returns to Los Angeles to infiltrate the kingpin's Mexican-U.S. smuggling ring, vowing to exact revenge.

During a competition to select new drivers for the gang's cross-border trafficking runs, Dom encounters his old nemesis, undercover FBI agent Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker), who has been assigned to get inside the organization, and whose driving prowess makes him a formidable contestant in the no-holds-barred street race that follows. (The series' first sequel, "2 Fast 2 Furious," focused on Brian after Dom went on the lam in Mexico.)

As Dom and Brian renew their rivalry, which includes an element of grudging mutual respect, Brian has a fraught reunion with Dom's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster). During the first film, Mia had fallen for Brian, only to discover that he was an undercover Los Angeles police officer who was simply using her -- or so it seemed -- to investigate her brother.

As directed by Justin Lin, the thin story by screenwriter Chris Morgan is no more than an excuse for long sequences of reckless racing, with a few explosions and other forms of mayhem along the way. Further, the characters move from one side of the law to the other as it suits them, pursuing their own version of justice.

A climactic scene involving a corrupt Catholic priest, who exchanges a blessing for a bribe, leaves this ethically swerving vehicle running on empty.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.