Way back in 2001 The Fast and The Furious was released, the 50's B-movie title, the fast cars and hot women pulled in audiences the world over. Moving forward ten years the F & F franchise has a life of its own, apart from the occasionally dodgy sequel the studio bosses have hit upon that which they probably should have stuck with. More of the original cast.
So here we are, ten years later and with most of the original cast still in tact. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel; Babylon A.D., The Pacifier), his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Fast and The Furious) and his best friend, ex-FBI agent Brian O' Conner (Paul Walker; Takers, Flags Of Our Fathers) are on the run from the FBI after busting Dominic out of prison and are living the fast and furious life in Rio De Janeiro. Unknown to them a crack team of FBI specialists are heading their way lead by Luke Hobbs (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson; The Other Guys, Tooth Fairy) who has a seemingly relentless vendetta against the team of rubber burning bandits.
The chemistry between the original cast is obvious, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel come together like they've never been apart for the past 10 years and so it's hard not to feel nostalgic about the original Fast and Furious movie. Jordana Brewster is definitely a good addition to the cast but with a lesser role than before so her presence isn't really missed so much (she was always meant to be a love interest and that's all) and her relationship with Brian (Walker) seems as solid as ever so all is good. For those who haven't seen the previous movie in the franchise (such as I) will have to fill in a couple of gaps. Character references from previous episodes and a load of new characters who are immediately accepted into the franchise without question may seem a little confusing for passive viewers of the series and maybe for those who the franchise has passed over altogether, but not by much.
However what is missing by a noticeable chunk are the cars. Living in the poor part of Rio De Janeiro may seem like a good excuse not to go charging around in your suped-up Dodge Charger but when the whole idea of the movie and, the drive, if you will is the fast cars and the chases then you may have to think about what you're doing. There are moments of high-nos madness for the die hard fans of the original but they are more of a nod to the nostalgia of the original rather than an indication that the best is yet to come. At the same time, however, the moments of car crazy madness seem shoehorned in, in the most ridiculous ways, like the director is only obliged to do a scene with a car, but would rather be doing something else. Saying that though there is the obligatory car chase at the end of the movie which should please the fans.
The plot is very loose and although it's set up pretty much right at the beginning of the movie it soon loses its weight and the resulting actions of the anti-heroes seems vengeful rather than a natural way to move the plot forward (do two wrongs make a right?). It's left to the relative newcomers to carry most of the plot and there are some nice and cheerful pairings that help the audience feel closer to the band of brothers (and sisters). Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson; Transformers, Legion) comes back to the franchise since last appearing in 2 Fast 2 Furious and adds most of the comic relief, however obvious and cliché he might come across but his stand alone scenes are funny and he's probably got the most personality out of the cast. Tej Parker (Ludacris; No Strings Attached, Gamer) also returns, playing off of Gibson as they did in the last F & F film they were in together, but as a casual viewer of the franchise this connection may be missed and their sudden rivalry may seem off-putting and unnecessary.
Fast and Furious Five (or Fast Five as it's called in certain circles) does recapture some of the original chemistry from the original cast, although really most of them probably had nothing better to do. You get what you pay for in the latest instalment, however those who are wanting more high-speed car chase action may feel a little short changed.
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