Fast Five (2011)

Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
Rating: ***

Formula films work. Again and again. Part five of the Fast and the Furious franchise proves that and manages once again to be absurdly entertaining. Slick chase sequences, stunts, bullets, babes and the sexiest rides—that’s what you come expecting, and that’s what you get. What’s that? A good film should make you think? Yes, this does too. About who’s that babe in the bikini and what car that was.

For the uninitiated, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is the star, the Salman Khan figure who kicks ass and talks tough. Thefts are ‘gigs’ in this world, and this time, the action is in Rio. A simple job (burn a hole through a speeding train, drive out with the cars. Piece of cake) becomes complicated when Toretto and company find out that Rio’s super villain Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) was actually after a microchip. Why that needed entire cars stolen is anybody’s guess. Soon, Toretto is going after Reyes, and he’s flown in a team from halfway around the world, including smooth-talking Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) from 2 Fast 2 Furious. They show up sans luggage but with snazzy rides, and yes, leather jackets in tropical Brazil. Whoever said looking sexy comes easy.

They are up against a man with bigger biceps and lesser facial expression than Diesel, Federal Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson, or the Rock). He is all adrenaline, shooting, swearing, sweating and sporting a ridiculous beard. The mano-a-mano between Toretto and Hobbs is muscles, bald heads and brawn. If you didn’t know better, their relationship would seem oddly testosterone charged.

Of course, the film wouldn’t be complete without a fast and furious climax. So they drive out of the police station with a vault the size of a Mumbai studio apartment tied to the back of their cars, and trash half of Rio in the process. Plausibility? That’s not in script. It does not have the finesse of an Ocean’s Eleven heist, rather feels like 15 minutes of Demolition Racer. But what’s disappointing is the longest car chase sequence takes place in two black sprayed-painted cars. What were they going for? Subtlety?  

Yet, it doesn’t matter. You won’t regret spending money for an hour and a half’s worth of entertainment. Just don’t think about it. At all. By the way, the girl in the bikini is former Miss Israel Gal Gadot. As for the cars, call the GQ auto editor. He can tell you all about them, and why this is the best movie ever. 

- Sarit Ray

08 May, 2011

This review was originally written for gqindia.com (Click here to see...)