Fast Five

Opening the summer season is Fast Five, the latest of the 'Fast' series which has been reformulated from an illegal car racing theme into a feature with a clever heist involving fast car chases.

With a bigger budget and diverse appeal, the feature's spectacular strong start ignites the fuel to the non stop adrenaline packed action-drama.

The fifth and most thrilling of the franchise is set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the team pulls off one last heist in order to gain their freedom.

Among others, reuniting from previous 'Fast' features are Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and former federal agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker). They join their team in Rio where they are relentlessly pursued by federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and by the corrupt businessman Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) who framed the team for murder.

The actors display a lot of athleticism, especially the two Herculean looking Diesel and Johnson who let their fists fly.

Screenwriter Chris Morgan returns for the third time adding depth to the characters, jaw dropping action scenes, amazing foot chases, jumps through ramshackle rooftops, and totaling almost 200 cars, all captured through unique angles and aerial shots by Stephen F. Windon's exceptional cinematography and the visual effects team.

While Bryan Tyler's score keeps the frenetic pace momentum, clever direction by Justin Lin and good editing by Christian Wagner, Kelly Matsumoto, and Fred Raskin, leave no dull moment and, with humor and a few surprises, effectively pull the audience into the engaging action. Stay through the credits for the suggestion of a sequel. A refreshing kickoff to the moviegoing season.