Review of Fast Five (2011) by Michael M — 20 Dec 2012

I like the Fast & Furious movies. It's a trait that comes with having a penis. However, they've always been trashy fun. The first was the only one I could really call "good," with the others going overboard on the CGI or having a genuine lack of Vin Diesel, and even that first one was pretty generic and had some terrible acting. Still I liked them, and expected the same from this one.

But holy shit, it blew me away. This one is genuinely a great movie. It brings back almost all the main characters from the first 4, but this time not only are their performances better, I actually cared about them. There are moments of genuine emotion that actually work, I was totally surprised. Not to mention the addition of Dwayne Johnson who completely redeems himself from that Tooth Fairy movie by portraying a badass and genuinely intimidating figure.

And the action, it's fantastic! The CG isn't as overdone, and when it's there it's not as obvious, and the climactic action sequence is one of the most ridiculously awesome things I've ever seen. This is more of a heist movie, with the street racing sequences all but absent. I would have liked to see a bit more of them, since they're only referenced and never shown, but it's already a long movie and there's nothing I would want taken out, so if my biggest complaint is that I wanted more then that's a good sign.

It's gorgeous to look at, the action is awesome, the characters are much more genuine, it's fantastic. This is an unexpected step up for the franchise. Bravo guys, can't wait to see what have for us next.