You were expecting maybe a reunion of DeNiro and Pacino? When action hero heartthrobs Paul Walker and Vin Diesel reunite, what more could you ask for than man-sized, super-helpings of testosterone and adrenaline? 2009’s Fast & Furious serves up both in mass quantities, and gives fans of the franchise exactly what they’d hoped for.

This seems to be the season of knock-out opening scenes. This one takes place on a highway in the Dominican Republic, where Dominic Torreto (Diesel) and his muscle car driving team manage to amazingly highjack gasoline tankers from the cab while everyone is going at least 60 mph. Zoom, boom, crash, crunch, ouch! The scene is a thrilling action spectacle that will leave your mouth hanging open.

Meanwhile, Brian O’Connor (Walker) is back in California, still the government agent, who is trying to bust the baddest drug lord in Mexico (a conveniently timely villain). Both Brian and Dom end up racing each other for a spot on the drug lord’s driving team—Brian is trying to go inside to get to the big cheese, while Dom is trying to avenge his girlfriend’s (Michelle Rodriguez) death. Will Brian rekindle his old flame with Dom’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster)? What do you think? Will another of our favorite characters die? Who exactly has gone over to the dark side, and who has seen the light? The men are moody, the women are sexy and the cars are fast. What more could you ask?

Acting? Script? Plot? Of course they take a backseat to hot cars, women and tempers, and that’s not exactly a bad thing. Fast & Furious is what it is and makes no claims at anything more. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s fun. Your biggest challenge after seeing it will be trying to observe the speed limit on your way home.

Rated PG-13

 —Lisa Johnson Mandell