ACTOR Vin Diesel is in top gear for The Fast And The Furious, an enjoyably bumpy ride.

Diesel - whose star is shining brighter and brighter in Hollywood - and Paul Walker head the cast list in this fierce and frenzied look at rival Los Angeles street teams who use street racing as a means of establishing power.

In a movie which recalls the hip teenage exploitation flicks of the 1950s, Diesel plays Dominic Toretto, a man who, in his computer-controlled fuel injection car, drives the city streets as if he owns them, racing all-comers for a first prize of $10,000.

Soon enough a skilled team of drivers in four high performance Honda Civics steal a semi-truck full of electronics.

From there we follow Brian (Walker) as he earns the respect of street racing Czar Dominic (Diesel) with his skills behind the wheel.

In a key twist, it turns out that Brian is a rookie cop who has gone undercover, posing as a racing team member, to investigate truck hijackings.

Managing to ingratiate himself with the team's leaders at first, he finds himself in jeopardy when the other members begin to suspect an imposter within their ranks, setting the stage for an exciting climactic showdown.

Lots of fast action, shifting, skidding, and chasing - accompanied by a driving soundtrack and some beautiful bodies - are the vital ingredients which will pull in the crowds to see this youth-targeted thriller.

In America, the film has been one of the sleeper hits of the summer, so far taking $38m youth-targeted thriller has been one of the sleeper hits of the summer. It's likely to do big business here, too.