Fast Five [2011]

It isn’t like the old days when you called the box office to see what was playing and the response was “Tootsie” or “The French Connection”. Here, you know exactly what you’re getting, and for those who dreaded the last two installments in the series need to put their predjudices aside. Why? Because “Fast Five” totally kicks ass, and for two hours, I couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off my face (I feel guilty but what the heck). It’s not that the actors got better. In fact, everyone is still the same (Vin Diesel in particular is laughable when it comes to showing emotions), except for one thing: Dwayne Johnson joined the party, and I guess in a way, I enjoyed watching him trying to nail Diesel’s ass to the ground. Fans of the series know the drill. Cars, chicks, and plenty of ass kicking. So why is this one any different from the rest? The answer: Rio. The plan? To steal $100 million from the bad hombre’s vault and turn this whole shit into a heist movie. Not a bad idea. Along the ride are Tyrese Gibson (in a very funny role), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges” and Sung Kan. Justin Lin, who misdirected the previous two installments, finds his pace this time, staging one entertaining action sequence after another around the city of Rio. Best of all, a mano- a -mano fist fight involving Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. It’s a hoot watching these two trying to kick the living daylights out of each other. For an adrenalin pumping action film outing, “Fast Five” certainly delivers. So what if you hate yourself for enjoying it?

Rating: 2.5/4