"...the dramatic sequences by Ireland and Dorothy Malone were consistently rewarding. Interestingly, Ireland showed a subtly vulnerable side in his portrayal of a man on the run that one seldom got to see in his screen work, while Malone was a memorably independent and self-actualized female screen figure for the early 1950s. The Fast and the Furious is one of the more enduring titles out of Corman's early output as a producer, and plays well even 50 years later, with the added allure that many of the racing cars shown in the rally sequences have since become classics in their own right."
- Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

"Working class fugitive carjacks a Jaguar and kidnaps its upper class female owner, then tries to sneak out of the country as part of a touring road race. Early effort by a team that was about to start calling itself American International and take the B movie world by storm. Not a great movie, but surprisingly entertaining and creative, yet no longer politically correct enough for most audiences today. Recommended for B movie enthusiasts and fans of vintage sports cars."
- B-Notes User's Guide to Dubious Movies

"...while The Fast and the Furious isn't exactly an edge-of-your-seat nailbiter, it's fun to watch if you're into low-budget exploitation flicks from the 50s, and especially if you're a Roger Corman fan. And it actually has real people driving real cars. You even get to see Dorothy Malone tearing ass down the highway in one scene, which is cool in some weird sexual way that I can't even begin to explain. Plus, it was made twelve years before Vin Diesel was even born, so there's absolutely no danger of him being in it."
- BumsCorner.com

"Chase meller with sports car racing theme; for lower-case programmer dates. High-priced sportscar bombs furnish most of the action for The Fast and the Furious, a modestly budgeted chase meller that is slanted for lowercase programmer bookings. Racing footage is interesting but becomes repetitious and helps string out the running time to an unnecessary 73 minutes, an unhandy length for supporting play dates. New indie distribution outfit, American Releasing Corp. is handling the Palo Alto production as the first of four features from the latter unit... Producer Roger Corman furnished the story."
- Variety

"...a second feature for the masses... This is a heavy picture and the leading character is by no means a pleasant personality and little sympathy for him is aroused. Most of the action consists of motor journeys and en route there is much quarrelling and bickering. The acting is satisfactory, but the players have little real opportunity. The film is a modest second feature."
- CEA Film Report

"After a promising start, the film quickly fades; dialogue is artificial and inept, the playing of John Ireland and Dorothy Malone barely manages to hold an indifferently constructed story together, and we are left with a few motor racing sequences which might have made the film worthwhile had they been rather more fast or furious."
- Monthly Film Bulletin

Compiled by Pablo Kjolseth