The Fast and the Furious (2001) ***1/2

On one level, asking whether “The Fast and the Furious” is good is like debating the flavor profile of a malt liquor. It misses the point. This film is about fast-car action, which it delivers in spades.

Paul Walker (who is only famous for making these Fast and Furious movies) plays Brian, an undercover cop trying to infiltrate L.A.'s underground, street-racing scene. His purpose is to figure out who is carrying out high-speed, precision-driving hijackings of 18-wheelers. Brian falls in with Dom and his team of racers and mechanics. He also falls for Dom's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster). As Brian learns who is doing what in this shady world, he is forced to choose between his law enforcement career and his new family.

While it's fair to call “The Fast and the Furious” a classic of the action genre, I don't want to praise it too highly. This should not be considered a good movie. Vin Diesel is magnetic, but isn't much on dramatic range, and the rest of the cast is worse than he is. With his surfer looks and wooden acting, Paul Walker reminds me a lot of Hayden Christensen, who stunk up theaters in Star Wars: Episodes II and III. Even setting aside the bad acting, the plot barely holds together.

You gotta just put all that aside and enjoy the ride, because when it comes to action, “The Fast and the Furious” is as good a fast-car movie as I've seen. I haven't seen the sequels, but I've read that they devolved into a lot of ridiculous stunts like cars jumping over helicopters. This first film doesn't have anything like that; it's just good, basic, fast driving that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Now, before I praise the film too much, I want to point out that there are plenty of action-packed films out there that don't suffer the liabilities of terrible acting and meaningless plotlines. Think “Die Hard,” “Aliens,” or most of the James Bond films. If it's driving action you are looking for, 2011's "Drive" is a better film, as are the Mad Max movies, especially 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road".  Like good, craft beers, these films offer complexity and satisfying flavor. “The Fast and the Furious” is the 40 ounces of malt liquor that gets you drunk at a good price. Sometimes that's exactly what you are looking for.

3.5 stars out of 5

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) ****

It isn't often that I like a sequel better than the original movie, but this is one case where I did. I found the original "Guardians of the Galaxy" film to be funny and action-packed, but weighed down by treacle in the third act. The sequel manages to replace most of that sentimentality with genuine emotion, allowing for some believable character development, while retaining all the action and humor.

Starlord (Chris Pratt), Gamorra (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (the raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper), and a tiny, adorable Groot (with his “I am groot”s still voiced by Vin Diesel) are still together, not so much guarding the galaxy as doing mercenary work. In the opening sequence, they battle a giant, multidimensional, Lovecraftian octopus monster, while Groot dances to Electric Light Orchestra's “Mr. Blue Sky.” (This frenetic, goofily-funny scene perfectly sets the tone for the movie, and you can reliably decide whether or not to keep watching based on your response to it.) The Guardian's payment for defeating the Cthulhu-beast for the genetically-engineered Sovereign is Gamorra's blue sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), with whom she had the epic swordfight in the first film. It looks like a fair exchange until Rocket sweetens the deal by stealing a few of the Sovereign's priceless batteries, a theft that Rocket considers hilarious, but which quickly puts the vengeful Sovereign hot on the Guardian's trail.

The Guardians seem doomed until they are saved by a god named Ego (Kurt Russell), who just happens to be, get ready for it---Starlord's father. Ego has his own planet, not to mention a great head of hair, and it's a lovely family reunion at first. As Starlord gets to know his dad, though, he discovers that the old man has some very unsavory plans for the galaxy.

For me, “Vol. 2” is the movie that the original “Guardians” was trying to be. In the first film, the writers couldn't seem to cook up a believable motivation for all these renegades to team up, so they filled the void with some sappy crap about “friendship.” This time around, writer/director James Gunn seems to have figured out how to do character development without nearly as much groan-inducing syrup. The characters deliver action, laughs, and occasionally some genuine emotion, and the story makes just enough sense to keep you tuned in.

4 stars out of 5