Fast Five parents guide

Fast Five Parent Guide

Although it gains a tiny bit of ground for putting less emphasis on illegal racing and trophy women, it still stops far short of the finish line in the family recommended race.

Overall C-

Former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) have just about run out of places to hide. With a ruthless federal agent (Dwayne Johnson) bearing down on them in Rio de Janeiro, the pair hopes to find freedom by assembling an elite team of racers for one more fast-paced, crash-filled heist. (This movie is part of The Fast and The Furious franchise.)

Release date April 29, 2011

Violence D+
Sexual Content C+
Profanity D+
Substance Use B

Why is Fast Five rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Fast Five PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language.

Run Time: 130 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

The Fast and the Furious franchise is a decade old, yet it still holds the promise of hauling in some more box office dollars. The release of Fast Five reunites all the characters from the previous films as they plan to pull a job in Rio.

As expected, Vin Diesel is the headliner here, playing his character of Dominic Toretto (usually known as "Dom"). The action picks up exactly where Fast & Furious (the third movie in the series) left off, with Dom’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and ex-F.B.I.-agent-turned-friend Brian (Paul Walker) driving in front of the bus taking Dom and a host of other convicts to prison. The pair causes the large vehicle to crash and roll multiple times in order to spring Dom from custody. Amazingly, the hero emerges unscathed from the wreck (we have no idea what’s happened to the other occupants) and is then magically transported to Brazil where the crew hides from authorities.

In the South American city Dom, Mia and Brian realize the only way they can truly become free is by buying their way into a country that won’t extradite them. That conclusion leads to only one solution: More crime. So they begin plotting to take down Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), the biggest drug lord in Rio, which should net them $100 million. But a heist this large means they will need lots of extra help (and cast members). Calling on accomplices (who have appeared in Fast and Furious films over the last decade) they bring back Brian’s childhood chum Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), tech savvy Tej (Chris Bridges), Dom’s buddies Vince (Matt Schulze) and Gisele (Gal Gadot), along with reggae stars Don Omar and Tego. And finally, thanks to a major resurrection, Han (Sung Kang)—who was actually killed in Tokyo Drift (a movie the studio describes as an "offshoot" from the core series)—is brought back to life and looking quite healthy in Rio.

Coming against this army of faces is yet another box office bonus, Dwayne Johnson. He plays Hobbs, a tough F.B.I. man determined to bring the team to justice. By his side is Brazilian police rookie Elena (Elsa Pataky), one of the few female characters not sporting much cleavage (because she is costumed in a uniform).

Once the cast is in place, the plot revs up with the anticipated car chases. But this outing puts the brakes on the controversial street racing scenes, showing only one sequence in which the gang steals police cruisers and fast-forwards them down the midnight streets of Rio. Still there are a variety of crashes resulting in endless destruction of public property—all justified by the gang of "good" crooks trying to take out the really, really bad Brazilian dude. Multiple gunshots are exchanged, with shootings occurring on screen. Physical altercations are also plenteous, escalating to a pivotal scene where the two bald titans—Diesel and Johnson—go fist-to-fist. Johnson discards any remnants of previous "fairy" roles when he bursts out with a sexual expletive that joins a variety of other profanities in the script. And, what would this franchise be without racy babes? A gaggle of women who act as wallpaper decorate a couple of scenes. One of these (who appears to have forgotten to measure the length of her skirt) leaves the audience with a bum view of the activities.

Trying way too hard to look and sound tough, the Fast Five solicited some unintentional laughter from the crowd in my screening. Saddled with a collection of cardboard lines, Johnson delivered one of his worst performances in years, harkening back to The Mummy Returns. As well, this film’s complete ignorance and/or disregard for not only the laws of the land but for the laws of physics, drew some chuckles. Dramatic chase and crash scenes were so over the top that there was no semblance of reality.

Despite all this, Fast Five will likely still be an attractive choice for many male teens. Although it gains a tiny bit of ground for putting less emphasis on illegal racing and trophy women, it still stops far short of the finish line in the family recommended race.

Directed by Justin Lin . Starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson. Running time: 130 minutes. Theatrical release April 29, 2011. Updated

Fast Five
Rating & Content Info

Why is Fast Five rated PG-13? Fast Five is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language.

Violence: Hero characters steal multiple vehicles (including police cars), derail a passenger train, engage in illegal street racing (in stolen police cars), and drive recklessly through city streets causing wanton damage. (Their acts are justified by their desire to defeat a seemingly even nastier drug lord.) Hand-to-hand fighting and shooting are shown (including some onscreen bullet impacts and a character shot at point-blank range). Blood effects are used. Two men are seen hanging upside down in chains. Dead bodies lying in a street are depicted.

Sexual Content: Women wear revealing clothing. The females working for a drug lord dress in bikinis. A woman’s bare buttocks, under her short skirt, is shown in a close-up. An unmarried character reveals she is pregnant. A woman dons a bikini to tempt a man to touch her buttocks and capture his handprint. A nude female breast is seen in a classic painting.

Language: A single sexual expletive, a variety of other profanities, a couple of crude terms for sexual anatomy and a rude sexual remark are heard. Terms of deity are used as expletives. A derogatory remark is made about Buddhism.

Drugs/Alcohol: A drug dealer and his fortune are core to the theme of the movie, but drugs are not seen or used. A toast and social drinking are portrayed in one scene.

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Fast Five Parents' Guide

There are three levels of morality in this film: Official police, bad guys who are the film’s heroes, and real bad guys. How does the script use empathy to align our feelings toward one of these groups? What nationality are most of the characters we are supposed to like? What nationality is the bad guy? How do the U.S. and Brazilian police compare?

What stunts in this movie do you think are physically impossible? Does this add or take away from the overall entertainment experience?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Fast Five movie is October 4, 2011. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Fast Five

Release Date: 9 April 2013

Fast Five releases to home video in Blu-ray/Ultraviolet Digital Copy.

Home Video Notes: Fast Five

Release Date: 4 October 2011

The Fast Five releases to home video in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack.The package features an unrated version of the movie (so expect more content concerns than shown in the original theatrical release). Bonus extras include:

- Feature Commentary With Director Justin Lin

- Dom’s Journey: Track Vin Diesel’s legendary character from the beginning

- Brian O’Conner: From Fed To Con: Follow Paul Walker’s character

- Enter Federal Agent Hobbs: Meet Dom & Brian’s toughest nemesis yet

- Deleted Scenes

- Gag Reel

- Dom Vs. Hobbs: Watch how the action-packed showdown was shot

- On Set With Director Justin Lin: Go behind the scenes of Fast Five

- Inside The Vault Chase: Learn how they filmed the movie’s most dangerous sequence

- Tyrese TV: Go behind the scenes of Fast Five with Tyrese Gibson

- Pocket BLU Versions for Tablets and Computers, Featuring Universal’s Second Screen

- uhear

- BD-Live

Related home video titles:

This movie is part of a franchise that includes: The Fast And The Furious , 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, and Fast & Furious 6

Vin Diesel, known for his action roles, shows his gentler side in The Pacifier. Dwayne Johnson offers a better performance in Gridiron Gang. And Paul Walker plays a nobler hero in Eight Below.

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