Exhibits some of the most common problems of action movies.

Rating: 6/10 (13 May 2017)

Prior to seeing this installment, I had rather enjoyed the other movies I'd seen of this series. Despite the fact that they are very action driven, formulaic in plot, and over the top, they at least held my attention and were somewhat exciting. From what I had seen and heard, I was under the impression that this number five was supposed the best in the series. But actually it was the movie that alerted me to everything I don't like about this series.
I want to highlight how destruction was handled in the climatic car chase scene. Cars are flipping and blowing up and smashing into other cars and buildings. The big safe is ripping through everything it touches and is sliding out of control. And yet the only fatalities are those of the corrupt cops chasing Brian and Dom. Now, I know why this is so. How can we like our protagonists if they kill innocent bystanders? It makes for unlikable heroes. But I think that is letting them off way too easy. In none of their planning do they make any mention of whether they are endangering the citizens of Rio. In reality, there would have been a lot of people killed, and I think it is wrong to not show any pedestrians dying in the destruction. It's expected that in movies reality is bent a little, particularly in big-scale entertainment movies like this. I get that. But I think it was done to an irresponsible degree in this case.
Coupled with this is the likability of our protagonists. They are shown as sort of perfectly imperfect people. They're criminals with some character flaws, but then they've got these simple codes and beliefs that drive them. In the character's views, Dom in particular, whatever they do to keep their family together is acceptable. They're almost too easy to root for. In some other movies, Brian and Dom and the gang would be the villains, but since the opposition is morally worse than them, they become the good guys. I don't want to give the impression that I think all criminals are bad, they aren't. Breaking the law can be the right thing to do, and nowhere is that highlighted more than in some of my favorite movies. But in the case of this movie, I think that legal justice should have been conducted on the heroes.
One would think that the action would be an upside for this movie, but this is only partially true. The grand-scale action kept me watching, and some of the one on one fights and foot chase scenes were engaging. But behind the spectacle and size is a disappointingly flat execution. There is very little drama behind the action scenes. There are lots of explosions and big gunfights, but these are not constructed or shot in a way that makes them really cool or exciting. For this reason, the lengthy car chases get somewhat monotonous. Also, by virtue of this being a summer entertainment flick, we as an audience know intuitively that all or at least most of our heroes will survive. That makes us feel smart in a way, but it reduces the suspense of the action sequences. There's only real drama if there is a genuine possibility that the protagonist will not survive it. That doesn't mean the drama is real if the odds are stacked absurdly against a character, as often happens. It means that the world that is created by the movie gives the audience the impression that this is the kind of story that is willing to kill its main characters or at least wound them beyond repair. This is not the case in the Fast and Furious movies, and it reduces the excitement of their many action scenes.
I'm sorry if I ranted too much here. I just have some strong opinions on the choices that this movie made. It does have some redeeming qualities in its frequent funny moments and slightly emotional subplots. But for the most part it's just a testosterone-driven movie with an adequate story pasted onto it. Overall Rating: 6.1/10