Review of Fast Five (2011) by Seth S — 12 Oct 2013

It's not often that a franchise gets to a 5th installment. And if they do, then they are doubtlessly milking the cash cow by then. So you can understand the shock when Fast Five turned out to easily be the best in the Fast & Furious franchise. Instead of being a street racing movie, Fast Five is a vehicular heist movie. And it's more fun than a couple regular action movies put together. In keeping with the Fast & Furious tradition, there isn't an intelligent bone in the movie's body. I was hoping that one day; there would be an intelligent Fast & Furious movie. Fast Five is not that day. Still the sheer force of the action and undeniable fun of the story are more than enough.

Fast Five picks up right where Fast & Furious left off. After springing Dom from the prison bus, Brian, Mia, Dom wind up in Rio with a common thought: they need to start new lives. With Brian and Mia expecting their first child, they can no longer live life on the run. But to start their new lives, they will need money, lots of it. So they set in motion a plan to steal 100,000,000 dollars from Hernan Reyes, a Brazilian drug lord. To succeed in the heist, Dom and Brian must assemble a team of specifically skilled individuals. So they call together their crew of gear-heads and criminals to complete the heist of a lifetime.

As this is the best movie in the series, Vin Diesel accordingly gives his best performance of the series. While Dom might not be the most emotional character, he still works as a very good action hero. Make no mistake about it; Dom is a much better character behind the wheel than seriously talking in front of a camera. Still, Diesel is very good here, and he is improving all the time.

Brian Walker and Jordana Brewster return as Brian and Mia. Of the two, Brewster gives the better performance, but Walker still functions as a fun sidekick to Dom. They form a fairly odd couple, but they work together brilliantly. As for Brian and Mia's relationship, it is maturing in a way that isn't common for major blockbusters.

The supporting cast is filled with old friends from the past "Fast" movies. Sung Kang, Ludacris Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, and Gal Gadot all return of the sequel. I was not a fan of Gibson's character Roman in 2 Fast 2 Furious, but he is improved here. He still has some of the annoying qualities from before, but he is given better material to work with here. Sung Kang and Ludacris continue to turn in excellent supporting performances, possible providing the most convincing acting of any of the cast members.

And really rounding out the cast (and providing a significant boost to the movie), is Dwayne Johnson as the antagonist Luke Hobbs. Hobbs works for the government, but is given some freedoms that a normal government agent wouldn't get. He is a terrific foil to Dom, finally providing him with a comparable physical opponent. Johnson is his usual charismatic self.

The action in this movie is miles ahead of anything we've seen in a Fast & Furious movie. If I were to rate the top 5 action scenes of the franchise, Fast Five would probably claim at least 3 of those spots. And it's diverse action. There is street racing, rooftop free running, alleyway shootouts, fist fights, and car chases. The chase atop the roofs of Rio is a stand out. It's not original, but it is exhilarating. The brawl between Dom and Hobbs is also pretty brutal. Both Diesel and Johnson have been action stars for years now, and putting them together is gold.

Justin Lin directs his most resounding success to date. He is able to give audiences the movie they expect, while still surprising them with quality that they don't necessarily deserve. One of the things that I love about the Fast & Furious franchise is the acceptance and promotion of religion. That's rare in any movie, let alone a summer blockbuster. I also love the strong emphasis on family. That is another rare aspect to find in a blockbuster movie.

And lastly, the musical choices for this movie are just about perfect. Brian Tyler returns for his third Fast & Furious outing. His score for the movie is perfectly adequate and occasionally stands out. But Justin Lin's choice in songs to use in movie is top notch. The best example is the ending of the movie. When our heroes finally get their fortune, the song "Danza Kuduro" by Don Omar and Lucenzo is played. It is probably the most well-used and affective song in the entire series. It perfectly highlights the happy ending. It's almost impossible not to have a little smile at the end.

In one way, Fast Five completely transforms the Fast & Furious franchise. In another way, it has some of the same issues that the every other movie in the series has. Those hoping for intelligent entertainment will have to look elsewhere. Ironically, the film is produced by a company called "Original Film"...Fast Five is the farthest thing from original. I'd go as far as to say that it is predictable. Even with these nagging problems, Fast Five is still a boatload of fun, its action is terrific, the story is possibly the best yet for the series, the acting is improved over its processors, and the ending brings nice closure to the story while still leaving the sequel possibilities wide open. Fast Five is a fun and wild ride!

"And above all else we don't ever, ever let them get into cars." 8.5/10.