Fast Five

Who knew that a simple little film about street racing would spawn a franchise? Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) are back in the fifth - yes, fifth - installment of the "Fast and the Furious" films.
The film picks up right where the last one left off, with O'Connor and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) busting Dom out of prison. Well, he's not technically in prison yet. He's on a bus. And, naturally, the way to get someone off a bus is to make the bus flip over several times on a remote desert road.
It seems like there are better ways to get someone off a bus, but, I've never been had to bust my brother out of irons.
Now, because of the bold escape, Dom and co. are fugitives. They find themselves in South America, looking for a way to disappear forever. Naturally, a way presents itself, but, first they have to cross the most powerful criminal in Rio de Janero, and outsmart the FBI's best team of special agents who have been sent in to take them home. Such feats require a team, and suddenly, the all-stars from the last four movies are assembled in one spot. The film then becomes a heist movie, reminiscent of 'Oceans 11' or 'The Italian Job.'
The franchise was built on the concept of illegal street racing, and the notion that Dom is the best there's ever been, anywhere. This film references those things, but doesn't dwell on them. In many ways, it pays homage to the first film - an original team member returns, and the two street racing scenes deliberately recall O'Connor's initiation into the Toretto team.
But, in many ways, these are not the same characters from that film. It feels like something is missing. (Letty, for one.) Whether it is Diesel's coloring, the director's vision, or the script's limitations, "Fast Five"'s Dom is less "like gravity" than he is in the other films, particularly the first. Mia, who is actually rather annoying in the first film, suddenly is the anchor that holds the family together - a role traditionally held by Dom. There's no more waffling from O'Connor, as he has fully given himself over to the life of a fugitive, largely because it is the only way he would have a life with Mia. The filmmakers also give O'Connor fewer and fewer lines with each passing film, focusing instead on his driving and fighting skills. Probably wise.
And, with Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) playing a rather unlikeable FBI agent who delivers some amazingly bad lines ("You know I like my dessert first," in reference to good news/bad news), it's easy to stay on the fugitives' sides even when they're not technically the "good guys."
The camera work seems to reinforce the "fast" notion, with constant motion and figures moving impossibly fast as they run and jump and pummel each other. Some of the things people escape from are ludicrous, and bullets seem to know they can only touch secondary characters.
If you only liked the first one because of all the engine-revving in between fight scenes, then this might not be for you. But, if you like the characters and some unlikely action scenarios, you'll probably like the film. (After all, where else will you get to see The Rock and Vin Diesel duke it out?)