Fast & Furious (2009)
In which we meet: Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot), a former Israeli military officer who now works as a liaison for Mexican drug kingpin Arturo Braga. We also meet Leo (Tego Calderón) and Rico (Don Omar), two members of Dom’s crew who have a brotherly love-hate relationship.
The Plot: Dom and Letty have been living the fugitive life, but as the heat closes in, Dom leaves Letty so that she doesn’t get caught up in the dragnet with him. When Letty turns up dead in a car accident though, Dom returns to L.A. to get answers, which leads him to cross paths again with Brian O’Connor. Brian, now an FBI agent, is investigating Braga, to whom Letty’s “accident” is connected. Putting aside their differences, Dom and Brian decide to work together to bring down Braga.
How did that happen? When last we saw Brian O’Connor he was a free man after helping the FBI and the DEA take down Argentine drug lord Carter Verone, but how does that translate into a job as a federal agent? Didn’t anyone at the Bureau think twice when O’Connor started getting mixed up with old associates from the Toretto gang? Wasn’t it kind of miscalculation to put him in a position to get mixed up with the street racing scene he’s so obviously addicted to in the first place? I guess not.
Foreshadowing, but not really: During the opening heist of an oil tanker we see that Han is alive! That’s because this movie actually takes place before Tokyo Drift, thus giving us some insight into Dom and Han’s background together. Still, when the gang breaks up after getting word that the police are closing in, Han remarks to Dom, “I hear they’re doing some crazy shit in Tokyo.” Later, in Fast Five, Han once again puts off going to Tokyo, but we all know, at least after seeing Tokyo Drift, that he gets there eventually.
Twist x2: In the first twist we learn that Letty wasn’t just driving for Braga, she was doing so as Brian’s informant, getting intel on Braga in exchange for clemency for Dom. (Interestingly, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez don’t even share a conversation on film until Fast & Furious 6.) In the second twist, we learn that Braga’s right-hand man Campos (John Ortiz) is actually Braga himself.
Signature Stunt: A thrilling and close-quarters high speed chase through a series of tunnels Braga uses for smuggling under the U.S./Mexican border. It’s not as huge as some of Fast and Furious’ past (or future) chases, but the claustrophobic nature of the sequence sets it apart from many of the other scenes in the series.
In the end: Dom willfully surrenders to the FBI, tired of running, after he and Brian find Braga and bring him back to the U.S. Unfortunately, the court doesn’t take Dom’s help in bringing Braga to justice as reason to grant him clemency for all those other crimes, and he’s sentenced to life in Lompoc. As the film ends, we see Brian, Mia, Leo and Rico pull up alongside the prison bus in fast cars, ready to spring Dom from custody…