The fifth installment of beautiful looking cars, gorgeous women and breathtaking parts of the world hits theaters April 29, 2011, adding another colorful chapter to The Fast and Furious franchise. Directed by Justin Lin, “Fast Five” made me feel like I was part of a reunion with all of my “friends” from the previous films. There has been some question as to the order of the previous movies, but this one unmistakably starts right where 2009’s Fast & Furious ends…with our heart racing.
For those of us that have followed the previous movies, we get to see the characters develop more. As they come together from varied backgrounds their unique individual story lines provides for some fun on screen entertainment. Great, subtle references to previous movies provide depth within this “family” of friends, but don’t ruin the film for those who have not seen any of them.
During the entire 2 hours and 10 minutes the action never let up giving me the anxiety that I was on the run with, or in the passenger seat next to the characters. I found myself so involved with the “adventure ride,” I forgot until the end I had to write a review! For the audience member that continually looks for realism within silver screen fiction, I walked away thinking only 1 or 2 scenes wouldn’t have worked in reality. After all, it is entertainment! “The Rock” (Dwayne Johnson) makes an impressive on screen presence whose size sat me back in my chair. Simply put, he is M-A-S-S-I-V-E! Seeing him and Vin Diesel go at it in the intense fight sequences was like watching two fierce rhinos continually thrash one another. As always, the car scenes are unbelievable. Continuing to pay homage to some heart stopping classics, the movie introduces some new exotics that car lovers will be excited to see grace the big screen.
But this isn’t just a movie about fugitives on the run, stealing cars and creating a wake of destruction where ever they go. Fast Five has some underlying tones of seriousness offering backbone to what the movie is really about. Searching for these moral themes is the goal of our eclectic cast and just like always, in the end it will leave you wanting more. I can’t wait until the film releases to the public, I am definitely seeing it again. This time, on IMAX!
