Fast 5 (2011) movie review

Without a doubt, out of the 5 I’ve seen so far, this one is the absolute best. It tops everything that the last four movies have done combined. Everything is better, and everything about this movie is fantastic. I could only have hoped these films would get this great! I didn’t expect it to be this big of a step forward!

First big improvement- the story. All the other films were weak on plot in either one way or several ways. This one is strong on story. That’s not enough, though. The filmmakers had to make it even better. Not only do we get a genuinely nice story, but we get awesome characters that are developed far better than the previous installments and are far more enjoyable than they’ve ever been. But it doesn’t stop there. The action scenes are astronomically better, too! With every crash, every impact, you feel it! And if you want action, you need to watch the film’s big finale! Holy crap, I don’t know how they’re going to top that in the 6th installment! I don’t know how they’ll top anything!

One thing at a time. The story is actually good. We can call it a story this time. A well written one. This movie picks up directly where the 4th one left off. The team goes into hiding in Rio de Janeiro, where (once again) a deal goes wrong and people on both sides get angry. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker find out a way to get back at their enemy and organize a team to hit back. This team consists of characters from previous installments. Tyrese Gibson from 2 Fast 2 Furious, Gal Gadot from Fast and Furious (the 4th one), and the other guys…. whose names I can’t remember. I’m glad that they didn’t get lazy with having the old characters return. Each one has a fair amount of screentime, and none of them feel left out. They all function well as a team, too. The friendship they all form feels real. It sort of reminded me of The Italian Job, but only better. 

They threw in Dwayne Johnson, too. That’s an extra 20 million points just for that. He's an FBI agent that people say bares a resemblance to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive, in a way... but a LOT more bad@$$. Fortunately, the filmmakers were smart enough to have Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel fight each other. And that fight is glorious! A match that legendary hasn't been done since Godzilla VS King Kong!

Of course, there are the other action scenes. I can’t describe them. I cannot find the words to describe those action scenes. The stunts, the chases, the destruction, it’s all fast paced and coordinated perfectly! And it’s so crazy and extreme that you can’t help but simply glue your eyes to the screen and watch it all go down! The best part is the big finale where Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were in two muscle cars pulling a freaking 3 ton vault through the streets of Rio de Janeiro! It plowed through everything like the world was made out of plush dolls! It was insane and I loved it! I’m still amazed at how great the action was! I can’t get over it!

Great characters, good acting, fantastic action, and being just plain fun make Fast 5 so enjoyable. It’s without a doubt the best of the series. Who knows? Maybe Fast and Furious 6 will be even better? I hope! The only direction they can go is forward. We can’t possibly have another Tokyo Drift!

If you don’t have time to see all of the Fast and Furious installments and only have time for a few, then make Fast 5 your #1 priority. I loved it.

FINAL RATING: 46 / 50

STORY: 4 / 5

ACTING: 4 / 5

CHARACTERS: 5 / 5

STUNTS/EFFECTS: 5 / 5

ACTION: 5 / 5

SOUNDTRACK: 4 / 5

TONE: 4 / 5

ENJOYABILITY: 5 / 5

REWATCH VALUE: 5 / 5

OWNING VALUE: 5 / 5

If you didn’t get hooked by the other 4, then I can guarantee you that this will do the job. I promise.