Muscle-clad stars? Check. Explosive action and minimalistically-dressed females? Check. A successful sequel and definitive piece of art, rather than just another tedious remake? Erm...

Let’s not pretend that this film is going to be anything other than it is. There will be no Oscar worthy acting performances, the plot will not be complex and filled with twists and the script will not blow your mind with its sophisticated vocabulary. Fast Five is, quite simply, a 'check your brain at the door' action movie, relying on its thrills and rapturous action sequences to draw your attention and prevent you from concentrating on its less desirable features.

Justin Lin returns to direct his third straight Fast and Furious film and does not disappoint in delivering a thrilling ride throughout; starting with the outlandish jailbreak of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), which to everyone in the theatre’s surprise caused no fatalities - despite involving the triple flip of a prison bus - to the chase sequence where two Ford Mustangs drag a stolen bank vault through downtown Rio de Janeiro, ironically destroying a bank in the process. After said break out, Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and girlfriend Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) end up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, hiding out with family friend Vince (Matt Schulze). Predictably, they become caught up in a job that goes wrong, during which they reunite with Dom and vow revenge on Reyes (Joaquim De Almeida), a ruthless drug baron who is eager to find the gang after they acquire an item of great importance to him.

In a reunion of Ocean's Eleven proportions, characters from a number of the previous Fast and Furious films are brought together to form a new, super crew; intent on undertaking one last big job (sound familiar?) so as to allow them to escape to the lives they all dream of. Roman Pierce (Tyrese Gibson) and  Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) from 2 Fast 2 Furious - as well as Han from Tokyo Drift (Sung Kang) - make an appearance, with Gisele (Gal Gadot) and constantly arguing couple Leo (Tego Calderon) and Santos (Don Omar) from Fast and Furious rounding off this rather dysfunctional cohort.

Added to the mix is bicep bulging, Under Armour wearing federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and his unit - plus virtuous rookie Elena (Elsa Pataky) - who are eager to extradite both Dom and Brian back to America to pay for their crimes.

Aside from the films rather linear storyline, Fast Five does at least provide a few intentionally funny moments with which to offer some light relief from its rather hectic pace. Generally provided by Bridges and Gibson - whose light-hearted banter is one of the films best assets - these moments help to break up the otherwise one-dimensional Fast Five; using the same, tongue-in-cheek humour that we saw in previous Furious outings to great effect. However, it was the unintentional comedic moments that garnered a far greater reaction from its audience; such as the fine, Arnie-esque one liner ushered by Johnson that brought a rapture of applause from our screening.

You would hardly expect a performance of great sensitivity from actors such as Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, but they fill the roles they are meant to, assisted by short, snappy dialogue that isn’t exactly a challenge. Furthermore, the large cast takes the focus off any one of the plethora of average performances, allowing for a more generic review of the acting featured within...another one of the film's saving graces.

There are moments of brilliance, for example a Bourne Identity style fight between Johnson and Diesel that leaves the viewer wondering if, between the acting performances and multiple blows to the head, both men are in fact made of wood. In another memorable scene, Lin makes full use of his beautiful location in a rooftop chase scene (shot in Puerto Rico, not Brazil), which one cannot help but draw comparisons to the famous Casino Royale crane hopping sequence.

Yet, despite these strengths, fans of the car modifying and racing scene may be disappointed by a distinct lack of...well...car racing, a trait that had become a staple within the previous Fast and Furious outings. To put it bluntly, there was only one notable race sequence in the whole movie, and the cruise scene appears to have taken a back seat to the “Mission Insanity” that Dom and his band of merry men and women are undertaking.

Regardless of its failings however, Fast Five works because it has maintained a strict focus and cult-like devotion to the franchises primary source of entertainment; unrelenting amounts of action, gorgeous girls, and stunning cars. While there are elements of familiarity to this sequel, it would appear that the franchise is keen to drift in a new direction - towards a more general audience - and, with a hint of a sixth film revealed during the end credits, it appears that film goers will continue to be immersed in Toretto’s high octane world for some time yet.

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