Review of Fast Five (2011) by Philip S — 16 Dec 2014

This may be the best of the franchise to date. It isn't great, but it also trims some of the excess from the predecessors, particularly those stupid drag racing scenes with the "speed vision" effect.

It's still there, but less is better. The film starts poorly, with a ridiculous jailbreak scene. Apparently our heroes don't care if they kill 30 people in an attempt to get their boy off of a bus - including him! But then the movie settles into a nice rhythm with decent action and, yes, even some acting thrown in.

The gem of the film is the impact of the Rock, Dwayne Johnson. He immediately elevates the tone of the film and gives it a real sense of cat and mouse action. The heist car chase may be over the top, but it is far more effective and suitable to the plot than the driving scenes we've seen before.

In the end, the 5th instalment is different from the previous 4 and that is a good thing.