Fast Five

The first film of the franchise that I watch, attracted by the very good reviews. What I got was precisely what I expected: very well made silliness. Some of the one-liners are funny, some are ridiculous. The action is pretty brutal, you can really feel the style and the energy, even if (especially by the end) it felt a little physically fairytale-like. It’s a watchable film and one of the best in the “summer action nonsense” category. (08/25/2011)

Cruelty, gore, and thrills just the way we like it! Definitely the best installment and cast. I absolutely squealed with joy several times at how amazing it was. But what got me most of all was the atmosphere and music during the opening of the safe. The last time I was this fired up was with Armageddon. (05/25/2011)

If it weren't for the fight scene and the fact that more films are still being made, this would have been a great finale to the series. The stories of the familiar characters come full circle during a big action ride that's not just about cars, but also gets into contact fights, shootouts... Justin Lin's predatory direction, Dwayne Johnson's super charismatic bad guy, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker clearly having a blast, plus Brian Tyler's stomping score that finally gets a proper airing... And that giant vault finale, which really took my breath away (and which was rather stupidly robbed by the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean, but I won't get into that here). I've been waiting for a movie this good since the first film in the series, The Fast and the Furious. (05/13/2020)

Hands down, the best episode of the series. Unfortunately, the overwrought pivotal action scene at the end, with a half demolished Rio and a massive vault behind two bulldozers, was too far beyond the edge of acceptability for my taste. And when they open their mouths in the non-action passages and the characters spout life's truths and wisdoms, even Mrs. Cliché and Stupidity run to hide behind the camera in terror, it was really hard to listen to. Thanks at least for Dwayne's character of Agent Hobbs, because you can never have enough of The Rock and his fist fight with Diesel, when the surrounding walls were collapsing like styrofoam backdrops, brought me out of my lethargy. (05/08/2011)

It seems that Justin Lin is getting the hang of his craft. After a tragic third installment and a slightly better fourth (mainly thanks to the cast), we now have a decent fifth part that works quite well on its own. Fortunately, there is a hefty dose of action, which was mostly lacking in the previous films, and instead of submachine guns and shotguns, we are treated to supposedly souped-up wrecking cars and spinning backgrounds. Values are flipped and Lin finally realised that times are changing and audiences have different demands. The setting of Rio is very attractive, the director plays with filters and music and turns an average project into a action-packed film that is narratively very simple, but ticks away pleasantly. Thanks to the stable cast and the masterful move in the form of The Rock, the film is very enjoyable to watch. The final over the top action set-piece didn't impress me that much, while the enraged fight between Diesel and Johnson was mind-blowing. (05/22/2011)