Fast Five (Mini Review Series)

Initial release date: April 15, 2011

Studios: Universal Pictures/Original Film/ One Race Films

Tagline: Feel the Speed. Feel the Rush.

Plot: Ever since ex-cop Brian O’Conner and Mia Toretto broke her brother Dom out of custody, they’ve traveled border to border to evade authorities. In Rio de Janeiro, they must do one final job before they can gain their freedom for good. Assembling their elite team of car racers, Brian and Dom know they must confront the corrupt businessman who wants them dead, before the federal agent on their trail finds them.

Cast

Vin Diesel - Dom Toretto

Paul Walker - Brian O’Conner

Jordana Brewster - Mia Toretto

Tyrese Gibson - Roman

Ludacris - Tej

Matt Schulze - Vince

Sung Kang - Han

Gal Gadot - Gisele

Tego Calderon - Leo

Don Omar - Santos

Joaquim de Almeida - Reyes

Dwayne Johnson - Hobbs

Elsa Pataky - Elena

Michael Irby - Zizi

Writer: Chris Morgan

Director: Justin Lin

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language (130 min)

‘Fast Five’ is definitely the installment that turned the franchise around. After the fourth movie still focused on some of the street-racing, this action-packed entry changed gears to a heist-related movie.

All of the action sequences are really solid and the car/train heist sequence in the opening minutes of the movie is really exciting. The action gets bigger and better starting with this entry.

Everything in ‘Fast Five’ is completely unpredictable and the final moments of the movie that involves taking the vault is extremely entertaining and wild. All of the action is tense and thrilling with a few laughs mixed in.

Overall, the fifth ‘Fast and Furious’ is one of the ‘Fast’ sequels that won’t let you down. And, there is a mid-credit scene that shows a little bit of what the sixth installment will offer.

Here are some interesting tidbits about ‘Fast Five’:

• The stunt involving the flatbed truck slamming into the moving train was filmed practically, without the use of miniatures or CGI. the collision nearly derailed the train, as can clearly be seen.

• The role of Hobbs was originally envisioned for Tommy Lee Jones. According to Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson was brought to ‘Fast Five’ because of a fan suggestion.

• Due to the negative reaction from car enthusiasts regarding the use of CGI backgrounds and locations, Justin Lin insisted ‘Fast Five’ had a limited use of it, to focus more on practical effects.

• The big brawl between Johnson and Diesel took over a week to shoot.

• Puerto Rico doubled up for Rio, thanks to an $11 million tax incentive.

• This entry was a conscious effort by Universal to move away from the street-racing themes of the previous movies, and move it into a more heist-focused series. To that end, there is only one car chase in the movie.

• This quickly outgrossed 2009s ‘Fast and Furious’ to become the highest-grossing movie in the series, only to pass the mantle on to the next installments.

• During an on-set interview for 2013s ‘Fast & Furious 6,’ Michelle Rodriguez revealed that she didn’t know about the “twist ending” to ‘Fast Five’ (with Letty’s “security cam” photo landing on Hobb’s desk) until she actually saw it herself in theaters.