Fast Five
The old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies to “The Fast and the Furious” franchise as it races on with its fifth installment filled with the requisite fast cars, over-the-top action and beautiful locations. Set in lovely Rio de Janerio, “Fast Five” is actually fourth in chronological order of the series; occurring before “Tokyo Drift,” which was released in 2006.
Paul Walker and Vin Diesel continue their roles as Brian O’Conner and Dom Toretto who are now on the run as fugitives trying to escape both the law and a powerful Brazilian businessman (whom they are also attempting to rob) all to reach freedom and “leave their demons” behind. Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto (Brian’s girlfriend/Dom’s sister) wears out her welcome as her character proves to be unnecessary filler; but a faint nod to the heist work of “Oceans 11” provides a well-rounded crew including the likes of Tyrese, Ludacris, and Sung Kang. The supporting cast provides enough humor and action to provoke plenty of audience laughter and cheering.
Oscar-winning performances they are not, yet Walker and Diesel continue to play their roles well. They provide the look, the rebelliousness and the danger that entrances the audience to a point where you don’t want to take your eyes off of them. They play off of each other well and judging by their smug grins, it’s clear that they pretty much know exactly what they’re doing.
It boasts one of the longest stunt sequences in the series with enough car crashes to make the audience lose count. At the same time it doesn’t take its action too seriously when going beyond the realm of believability with the daring feats that the characters manage to escape. Added to the mix is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who goes head-to-head with Diesel as federal agent, Luke Hobbs, as they try to decide who is the bigger bad ass. However, fans who remember their performances in “Tooth Fairy” and “The Pacifier,” respectively, know that lurking behind the muscles are silly, comedic personalities that carry the movie to another entertaining level.
The “Fast” Fanbase is one who gets excited the minute they hear the first engine rev and lengthy dialogue and character development aren’t really the main focuses for the filmmakers to satisfy. It’s a simple movie concept that continuously provides exciting blockbuster entertainment and “Fast Five” may have topped the list as being the best of the series to date. 130 minutes of action-packed thrills with an ending that will make fans amped up and ready to go for number six. Pure fast-moving fun.