Fast Five

Brian: "You realize we're talking about going up against the most powerful guy in all of Rio?"
Dom: "Yes, we are."
Brian: "Then we're gonna need a team."

release year: 2011
genre: action
viewing setting: home Bluray 12/29/16

synopsis: After the events of the fourth movie, the main characters hole up in Rio and hatch a new heist, but are also being chased by a relentless FBI agent.

impressions: This represented a turning point in the franchise, shifting the focus from car races to complex and dangerous robberies. It also pretty much merged all of the secondary characters from all of the previous movies, bringing back some not seen since the first or second film. One healthy injection of "Ocean's Eleven" later and we have a thrill ride packed with an ensemble cast. A few nagging questions (where'd they get the money to fund their heist, how many innocent people were killed during all the car chases?) obviously had to be ignored here...but where else can you run a Porsche around a course at high speed, finish without hitting anything, and have someone say "We're going to need a faster car" ?

acting: Everyone's here (except the kid from the third movie) so I'll only focus on the high points. New addition Dwayne Johnson owns every scene he's in, and is a great breath of fresh air; he's also huge and ripped and kicks an awful lot of ass. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are still good as the guys in charge, and Jordana Brewster's character is pregnant now, driving the need for the others to make a big score so they can retire. Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris are the comic relief (along with the always-bickering Spanish brothers.) Gal Gadot is back, now revealed to be a retired Mossad agent, which means she's bad-ass.

final word: In addition to being action-packed and funny, this one ties together all of the others plus lays out a new direction going forward. Great fun!

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