Fast Five

Fast Five is a powerful combination of men, machines and testosterone. Vinn Diesel always had a certain charisma about him, but now with the magnetism of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson added to the mix, they have upped the ante on how enjoyable these Fast and Furious movies can be.

Fast Five is the fifth film in the series and Diesel along Paul Walker and all the usual suspects return for this amped up adventure.

Before I go any further I recognize the ridiculousness of these films and quite frankly I didn't like any of the others. But Fast Five increase the action and tones down the melodrama for a high octane heist film. The tone of the film is just right, and the high speed action commands your attention, so I can overlook the fact that the bad guys never seem to hit anything with automatic weapons and the good guys seem to have an unlimited amount of cash to but the supplies they need for the caper. They don't need to buy cars though. They steal them or win them in street racing.

Do I need to tell you the plot? I didn't think so. You already know it involves fast cars and lots of, how do they say it in Rio? Machismo! But in case your wondering the band of outlaw outcasts plan to bring down a Rio de Janeiro drug kingpin, while avoiding being captured by an intractable American DSS special agent. The fact that Diesel and Johnson start out as enemies but end up working together is predictable from the outset, but the script gives them reasonable cover for joining forces. Together they are a formidable force on the screen.

Universal Studios has moved the summer blockbuster season up a week with this end of April release. the film had the biggest opening for a Universal picture, ever, surpassing the record set by Jurassic Park in 1993 (not adjusted for inflation). Fast Five is a 100% popcorn flick with no socially redeeming value other than to provide two solid hours high speed action. See it in IMAX if you can.

At the Movie House rating *** stars