Now That's Action Packed...Fast Five

The Midnight Shows have continued and this week's key theme is ACTION!! Wow!! That is the first thought that comes to mind after watching the new action flick Fast Five. The moment the film begins the ride begins. Let me just point out that I am a personal fan of the entire Fast and Furious franchise. And this 5th installment did not disappoint, there were plenty of fast cars, beautiful women, and action scenes to last a lifetime. Just imagine starting up the engine, pressing on the gas, ready to take off. Fast Five reminds me of The Italian Job to the 20th degree.

Here's a brief set-up just to get your feet wet...Keep in mind, the film begins where the fourth installment ended and before The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift with former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) leading an assault on the bus transporting Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) to prison. And of course Toretto is freed and the party splits up, with each one of them making their way to South America.

Now I had my reservation on how the film would play out with all of the past characters coming back, but it worked out almost flawlessly. We get an opportunity to see all the past characters from the previous Fast and Furious movies (Dominic, Brian, Roman, Tej, Han, Mia, and even Vince) along with some new additions to the crew. Reprising the role of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) truly exemplifies what is a true leader. I can't even be mad with Vin Diesel's character because he holds his own at all costs. By the end of the film you truly empathize with Dom and in a small secretive way you want him to escape, and really be free.And Brian is going to be Brian, even though he may not be a cop anymore he still possesses the skills to get the job done. If anything he has a wild card because he knows what to look for and what to expect. However, there is a soft side that comes into play now that the relationship between him and Mia (Toretto's younger sister) is really blossoming.

The chemistry between Dominic and Brian & Dominic and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) works out quite well. For just a brief moment you almost wonder if they work together as a cohesive team/one unit....naw maybe not lol. Johnson was the perfect fit for this role, I really could not see anyone else pulling this off so effortlessly. And the relationship between Dominic and Brian definitely blossoms much more, the connection that they have really goes to another level. With the whole cast, but these guys in particular, we get the chance to explores the character personalities, they tend to show more humor, fear, vulnerability and determination on this go around and this adds strength and depth to the film, which was somewhat lacking in the previous Fast and Furious movies. 

Now you gotta love the fact that Ludacris and Tyrese have come back as well, we get an opportunity to learn just a little bit more about their characters prior to the heist. Both seem to have similar taste but express it differently. And I gotta admit that gave some one-liners that I am still laughing about. But let us not forget the surprise appearances, and I mean I was like whoa, I had a "where did you come from moment?". The fact that Han (Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift) and Vince (The Fast and The Furious) come back is like this adds a little mystery. Considering I thought Han was dead and Vince had pretty much disappeared from the face of the earth. But you gotta love a good twist.

There is not a moment of rest as it relates to this film. Everything from the infamous fight scene between The Rock and Vin Diesel, from the chases on foot, the shoot outs, and most importantly the car chases. Even as I am writing this I am getting chills because I am still in amazement of all the excitement and action. This particular installment put the Fast and Furious franchise back on the map.

Now don't get me wrong there were a few corny lines, but not enough to spoil the movie. Once again I was literally hanging on the edge of my seat EYE WIDE OPEN!!! (I think the soundtrack helped with the flow too.) This movie truly lived up to its hype and some. Trust me when I say all my TRUE Fast and Furious fans will not be disappointed. I guarantee the story is not predictable and the surprises will keep coming all the way to the end. The cast has definitely matured and it shows some new found production, quality is truly better than quantity.

What I really liked about this movie was the ending the fact that they brought it full circle, when it all boils down this series has been about the cars and what better way to "close-out" than with a final race between O'Connor and Toretto. The true battle that seems to never get a true winner.

 
***SPECIAL NOTE: Make sure to say past the credits folks there is nice surprise!! Trust me you do not want to miss it!! You will definitely leave out the theater scratching your head saying, "did I just see that?"***

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars