Fast Five

Now here’s a pleasant surprise. A sequel (of sorts) that learns from the mistakes of its previous outing, addresses them and come up smelling of roses. Or in this instance, comes up smelling of car oil and burnt rubber as, yes, we’re back in the seat with the Fast & Furious boys and girls. The biggest surprise of all is that there isn’t too much change in cast and we even have the same director in Justin Lin as there was for 2009’s Fast and Furious. So what was the problem with that film? Simply put it was the awful CGI and it’s spectacular over use. From the opening scene with the fake oil trailer to the ridiculous drive through the desert which resembled a computer game more than a film, it was as un-thrilling as it was lame. So the good news here is that the Hollywood stunt drivers have dusted down their driving gloves and are back in action. Having said that though, this film has also addresses a problem with the franchise so far, in the fact it actually cuts down on the automobile action and gives us a more rounded storyline. You can only watch cars racing each other for so long and this film will appeal to more than just petrol heads. Don’t worry though, as there are still some nice scenes of tyre spinning and it all culminates in a bonkers final chase scene and some outrageous carmageddon on a bridge. In between we have a more fleshed out screen play than normal which involves usual suspect Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew this time hatching heists whilst avoiding a drug lord and a federal agent (a welcome addition in the form of Dwayne Johnson). Of course, the acting has never been the strong suit in this series and its nothing to write home about here. In addition, though this can just about stand alone as a film in its own right, there is little explanation for newcomers as to the characters back stories so some scenes will be hard to follow as unexplained events from previous films are regularly hinted out. Apparently, there’s a further instalment in the pipeline and let’s hope this one addresses one other major flaw of the series, that of having some stronger female characters as opposed to the current ones who are just arm candy for the dudes.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

Pure trash, but entertaining enough. Shame we had to sit through the dross of the last few films to get here. Rating: 7/10.