Movie Review: Fast Five

Movie: Fast Five (2011)

Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Thriller, Crime, Mystery & Suspense

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Vin Diesel Paul Walker Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Jordana Brewster

The latest installment of “The Fast and The Furious” franchise packs the best of the bunch to deliver fastest, slick, louder than ever before action packed thriller. Director, Justin Lin keeps it straight-forward with good and bad guys chasing each other in the backdrop of shanty streets of Rio, with the blend of high-levels of testosterone and speedy collisions thrown in for good measure.

Pretty much like previous films of this franchise, the plot revolves around former cop, Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) who teams up with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) again, to pull off another heist. But this time, they face the fury of hulking agent Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) who makes every possible attempt to hunt them down. For added suspense, we have a corrupt businessman (the so-called villain) in Rio, who wants them dead.

The movie kicks off with the dramatic prison break and we see them on the run to dodge the federal agents. To gain freedom once and for all, they decide to confront the said villain and get his “easy money”. In order to execute this secret assignment, they start assembling their trusted team of street-racers. It goes without saying that the plan involves clever manoeuvring of more fast and more powerful cars.

Do you love “over-the-top” hard-core action? Are you a fan of “The Fast and The Furious” franchise? Do you drool over shiny, muscular, seriously tattooed “The Rock”? Then, this movie is a must-watch for you! With cheesy dialogues, mind numbingly stupid action that defies all physical explanations, lack of originality in plot and loads of slam-bang popcorn munching action, this film not only manages to keep the audience glued to its seats but also provides hell lot of fun and entertainment. In spite of its crappy craft, the action sequences look spectacular on screen and delivers what it promises, 2 hours of family fun! So stop counting and complaining about the logistics, just fasten your seat belt and get ready for this fastest ever “joy” ride!

I would have enjoyed more car-racing scenes, but nevertheless, one action sequence after another, from shootouts to fist fights is engaging enough to stay in the cinema while munching buttered popcorns and a giant can of coke. Fast 5 proudly shows off the bad-ass attitude, lots of cursing, bikini-clad sexy girls, glossy cars, full-on speed and violence in the most intense fashion as compared to its previous installments. It is definitely not a letdown for the fans of this franchise. My favourite scene would be the clash which results in a nasty fight between Vin Diesel and Rock, brilliantly executed by both actors!

That being said, I still find the first movie, The Fast and The Furious (2001) as the best work of this fuming, adrenaline pumping street-racing series. The inclination of Fast 5 seemed more towards Ocean’s Eleven style cunning heist plotting than on mad car-racing, so the genuine flavour and charm was a bit missing from this sequel. The fact that this movie has grossed millions in its opening week and is still going strong after one whole month, there is no slowing down this drive! I would not reveal the ending for those who have not seen it yet, but from the shots when the credits start rolling, it is a clear-cut possibility that there is another installment coming in future which is absolutely great news for its fans! 

Rating: 8.5/10