By Michelle Perry
I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to enjoy the film “Fast Five.” But midway through the movie, I found myself desperate for a head to head between Vin Diesel and Disney’s heart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The movie was surprisingly enjoyable. Once you accept that the laws of physics are easily defied and that The Rock’s wildly unnecessary facial hair will remain as is until the credits roll, then accepting this movie as a Friday night brain-melter is fairly simple.
The film was the fifth installment of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise known for its fast cars, adrenaline and oversized man muscles. “Fast Five” delivered on these expectations. Rev your engines for sexy money, brawls and a proper balance of the four major races that proved to be only semi-stereotypical.
The movie was set in motion when Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel) and the gang proved they were too fast and too furious to let a speeding train stand in the way of their thievery. For “Fast Five” characters, simple evasive driving is passé. It was like Doc and Marty McFly all over again, only sexier and sans time travel.
The film tells the story of former cop, Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) and ex-con, Torreto and their quest to pull one last job even in the midst of being tracked down by overzealous take-no-prisoners Federal Agent, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). O’Connor and Torretto’s mission is to dupe Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), a corrupt Brazilian businessman out of $100 million.
By mid-movie, I quit being skeptical and was totally entranced. I found myself thinking, “Yeah, Diesel! Throw him another head punch!” Torreto’s fluency in fake Newton’s laws is more than satisfying. You might find yourself asking, “Can a car do that?” Probably not, but it doesn’t matter—it’s entertaining.
There were car chases with good cops, car chases with bad cops, car chases with former cops and car chases with fake cops. There was even a car chase involving corrupt cops and a giant metal box. Who could ask for more?
An audience doesn’t come to a movie like “Fast Five” expecting a groundbreaking piece of film. Was the acting Oscar-worthy? No, but it certainly kept the film interesting. While the dialogue may have proven the characters to take themselves a little too seriously, it never ceased to entertain.
In short, “Fast Five” is exactly the kind of heist movie you would expect from the “Fast and the Furious” franchise; complete with a presumptuous villain evil enough to blaspheme the holy God and then stride away to count his money.
If you do go to see this movie, what you can expect is the steady rhythm of its predecessors. “Fast Five” is a healthy blend of sparse comedy, PG-13 badass thematics and a satisfying homage to the franchise’s best and worst moments. Regardless of the slight variation in plot, the film stuck to its original structure: fast cars, NOS induced personas and the remembrance of Torreto’s “family first” ideals. All in all, “Fast Five” is a breath of fresh ridiculousness and in comparison of its “Furious” siblings, it is just one pectoral flex away from receiving four out of five stars in my book.
So if you’re hoping to see a movie that can temporarily wash away the reality of your work week, “Fast Five” might be the right choice for you. I know I’m going to pre-order my DVD copy. In fact, I might even splurge for the Blu-ray version, just so I can see the Rock’s crazy eyes and Brussels Griffith chin hair in high definition.
