It is proving to be one of the longest running franchises in Hollywood that has inspired countless film, including India's own "Dhoom" series. And though the quality went down after the first, the fifth instalment does give enough juice for hopes to be raised that the "Fast and the Furious" franchise will live beyond "Fast Five".
Ex-cop and current convict Brian (Paul Walker), on the run for helping Dom (Vin Diesel) escape, finds himself with Dom and Dom's sister and his lover Mia (Jordana Brewster) doing a job in Rio. Here they find themselves not just on the wrong side of the law of Brazil, but also pitted against a drug lord who runs Rio. In comes federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) who's also hunting them down.
Would the trio, and the motley group of cons they assemble, be able to pull one last, impossible con before buying their freedom out of another hellhole they find themselves in?
Though the story of "Fast Five" is intelligent enough, there's nothing cerebral about the movie. Yet, it is perfect example of a cliche-ridden action film that acts as an adrenalin pump in the body and manages to give its viewers an uninterrupted fun ride.
Thus you have the ruthless drug lord who controls the entire city, cheap, disposable, street scumbags in the great ghettos of Rio, a female cop who has turned cop out of vengeance, a ruthless but bighearted FBI operative and his team, corrupt police under the drug lords thumb and the motley cast of small cons who are pitted against them. You thus have yourself the setting for a perfect action flick.
"Fast Five" is full of moments and characters action flicks are famous for. Add to that car chases, roof top chases, beefy men, scores of mangled and flying cars, explosions, hot-bodied women strutting their wares, some unbelievable but cool looking stunts, funny idiosyncratic men, some quick emotional moments about the importance of the family, male bonding, and you have yourself every cliche in the action genre.
And to pack so much into 130 minutes of screen time, takes not just effort, but great skill. And both writer Chris Morgan and director Justin Lin have ample of both.
The action sequences in the film though have a shade of many others, the sheer pace and excellent execution of the same gives one the value for money and time one would expect from such a film, which does not take itself seriously.
Post Title → Fast Five Movie Review
