Author: Allison Ritcher

Family. Not the first thing that comes to mind when you look at a movie like FAST FIVE. (aka FAST & FURIOUS 5:RIO HEIST) It is not just the fast cars, hot women, and exciting chase scenes that have given these fast and furious films their longevity, but the idea of the family is the underlying theme that this franchise has built itself around. Family can hold many different meanings to people and manifest itself in a myriad of forms. For some it is the blood line, others it is their neighborhood, many it is their friends, and once in awhile it becomes one’s associates-sometimes it is all the above. Action writers Chris Morgan and Gary Scott Thompson created an ultimate heist film incorporating this element with the intelligence of OCEANS ELEVEN, the fight scenes and action of THE EXPENDABLES, chase scenes that are not comparable, and yet still throws in a balance of the family dynamic. Director Justin Lin (FAST AND FURIOUS and now attached to the new TERMINATOR film) took this screenplay and ran, or more importantly raced, with it all the way to the end of the film. (and beyond…stay past the credits for a jaw dropper-or two) His direction allows the viewer to take a ride-along in some scenes and allows them to be takenaway to masterful city shots, and all the while keeps an even and fun pace that keeps the audience cheering and ducking along with the action.

The film picks up where the last one left us, but now the crew is separated and on the run in South America. Set in the exotic, yet mostly impoverished Rio De Janeiro, Brazil is a very fitting setting for this installment of the five films. There is the strong contrast of the rich and poor, the high sharp hills versus the mighty ocean, and the natural beauty opposing the manufactured cars and buildings. a fitting simile to the highs and lows of any relationships or familial situation, not to mention politics and work. Sometimes it is difficult to choose right over wrong, and FAST FIVE demonstrates the struggle of the diometrically opposing forces at work.

The major players in the FAST AND FURIOUS are back for this non-stop ride in Brazil with Vin DIesel as Dominic Toretto, Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner, Jordana Brewster as Mia, and the new fed in town-Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs. Oh yes, there is friction and action throughout the film between Dom and Hobbs. Dom’s crew reunites some players from the past F&F films and creates a new, large crew united for heist to end their running and teach the ruthless drug king, that is the ultimate oppressor to the city, a lesson. They find themselves in a position to help each other while helping the less fortunate population. Trying to set the heist to precision execution, the crew forms a new family and the audience is introduced to a couple surprises along the journey. The comfort and comraderie the cast displays is evident in the portrayal of the characters and perhaps that is yet another reason this has been such a highly successful franchise for Universal Pictures. It has to be noted the new Dodge Chargers and Dom’s vintage GTO are fantastic car stars, but it is still fun to see the creativity of color and ingenuity of the race cars and the abilty they have to exite us as if they were another character and family member. Chase scenes with cars can be boring, overdone, or even useless; however in FAST FIVE, they are absolutely essential and pivotal to plot development, not mention some of the best car chases ever seen. Yes, there is some hackneyed dialogue spattered about the film, but this is an action movie-enjoy it!

To sum it all up…this truly has earned the namesake of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. Each of the characters presented has fair development and face time, and there are a lot of them in this film. The cars are ever fabulous and entertaining; so much so that the film makes you want to race on the highway when heading home. This is the best of the five so far, and it is not just for the love of Dwayne Johnson. An all around exciting and entertaining fim that is edge of your seat intense, but with a real story that has been building for years now; and hopefully, more to come. In the words of Dom, “Salud!, mi familia!”