Fast Five Blu-Ray Review

Movie Review

Former cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law.  Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they’ve blown across many borders to elude authorities.  Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom.  As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead but he’s not the only one on their tail.  Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) never misses his target and when he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them.  But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can’t separate the good guys from the bad.  Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey before someone else runs them down first.

I wasn’t expecting much from this although the fourth entry in the series was better than the previous sequels; the rule of thumb for most franchises entering their fifth instalment isn’t a good one.  But I have to eat my words as this is the best since the original, which is ten years old, mainly as it dispenses with all the racing and centres on a heist.  The opening escape and train heist are superb with explosions, car wrecks and a jump off a bridge which the two leads did for real.

Once the opening dies down the movie begins to setup the main story which is engaging if a little long and the punctuations of action aren’t really up to par with the beginning of the flick.  Then the film redeems itself by having the last 30 minutes being a massive heist which culminates in a colossal chase through the streets with a bank vault wrecking everything.  All of this gets the heart rate pumping and the really delivers on the action front, it’s a shame that the characters are barely moved along in terms of development but the little twist at the end still has me intrigued about the inevitable sequel.

This is director Justin Lin’s third fast and furious outing and he is an old hand at it but doesn’t get bogged down in much and keeps the pace progressing.  The actors are all good but aren’t given much to do; Dwayne Johnson is a welcome addition to the line-up and injects even more testosterone fused adrenaline throughout the flick.  This is well worth a look and almost the best of the series, check it out.

Video Presentation

Like many modern action films ‘Fast Five’ has that blown-out Michael Bay contrast.  Colours run hot, whites burn bright, and reddened skin tones soak in every ounce of sun.  Even though I personally am getting tired of such presentations, I must concede that the intended look of the movie is faithfully reproduced here.  Light shimmers off the water, and bounces off the multi-coloured walls and roofs of the shanty towns.  Reds, whites, and oranges brilliantly burst during explosions.  They never blend together into unruly conglomerations. Each colour is distinct and visible. Fine detail is top-notch. I have no idea why The Rock is sweating in every scene, but each bead of sweat can be seen perfectly.  I did think that, at times, blacks could be a bit flat. When Dominic visits Elena at her home to retrieve his necklace, I thought that the blacks seemed like they were crushing out some of the finer detail. On the whole though, ‘Fast Five’s sun-soaked visuals provide an eye-popping good time.

Audio Presentation

Since the movie is non-stop when it comes to chaotic action, whether it be fighting, shooting, or driving, likewise the audio never stops impressing.  Dialogue is always clear, even during the gruff talking contests that Walker, Diesel, and Johnson have on a regular basis.  Surrounds are full of engine-revving life.  The climactic scene where they drag the vault through the streets is filled with so much surround sound that it’s hard to think that it’s not really happening.  Panning effects of cars zooming from one side of the frame to the other are presented flawlessly.  LFE is constantly pumping out the bass.  It booms during the hip-hop-infused soundtrack, and jostles you out of your seat during the vault chase.  Anyone looking for a demo audio disc has come to the right place.

Extras

Audio Commentary – Director Justin Lin gives a thorough, but at times, tedious audio commentary.  The knowledge he dispenses about the filming and technical aspects of the movie are interesting, but he’s not a very congenial guy.  Without anyone else on the track to counter him, his voice will easily lull you to sleep.

The Big Train Heist – This is a behind-the-scenes featurette where you learn the basics of how the team and the actors were able to film the death-defying opening heist on the train.

A New Set of Wheels – A somewhat in-depth look at the power under the hood as we get to see some of the cars used in the movie.

Reuniting the Team– A reunion of sorts where we get to see old actors from movies before returning for this movie. Dom’s Journey – A look at how Dom has matured as a character.

Brian O’Connor: From Fed to Con – Another short character featurette, which discusses Brian’s transformation from lawman to outlaw.

Enter Federal Agent Hobbs – Some background on Dwayne Johnson entering the franchise.

Dom vs. Hobbs – A behind-the-scenes featurette which takes a look at the fist-fight that happens between Johnson and Diesel during the movie.

Inside the Vault Chase – Here’s a look at how they were able to shoot the vault chase. Some of the stuff that they engineered is actually very inventive.

On Set with Director Justin Lin – A day in the life of Lin while he’s on the set of the movie.

Deleted Scenes – Short deleted scenes that were deleted for a reason. There’s nothing substantial to see here.

Tyrese TV – Shameless promo of the actor acting like his annoying self.

Gag Reel – Nothing special here. Same old, same old as far as gag reels are concerned.

U-Control Picture-in-Picture Track – Now this is the Blu-ray exclusive that you’ve been waiting for. Fans of the movie will love this as Lin, Diesel, producer Neal H. Moritz, and others discuss the rocking rolling thrill-ride of stunts and filming during this picture-in-picture track that plays along with the movie.  This is much more informative and fun than Lin’s lone commentary.  Here you’ll learn in-depth knowledge about the stunts from the stunt coordinators themselves.  You’ll learn about the evolution of the story and characters.  Pretty much everything ‘Fast Five’ related that you wanted to know will probably be found here.

Scene Explorer – This is an interactive PiP way to explore the opening of the film with three separate windows available to select as the movie plays. Your options are Behind the Scenes, PreVis, and Dailies.  Within each window you see different aspects that helped put together the train robbery scene.  Very fun and interactive way to break down such a complex scene. This is a fun, bombastic action flick which will has everything you would expect from the franchise and the genre, this series is just hitting its stride, bring on more sequels. ‘Fast Five’ is out to rent or buy on DVD and Blu-Ray now.

This is a must see for any action fan, whether you are a fan of the series or not, it will blow you away, see it now.

‘Fast Five’ is out to rent or buy on DVD and Blu Ray now.