--- title: "Fast Five: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fast-five/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/fast-five" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Fast Five (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 17 reviews: 12 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics enjoy it, and several call it the best film in the series so far. The praise gathers around the set pieces: the vault dragged through the streets of Rio, the train hijacking, the rooftop footrace. Justin Lin’s staging and pacing are credited with turning the absurdity into a virtue, and Dwayne Johnson’s arrival is welcomed as a good fit for the franchise, his clashes with Vin Diesel singled out more than once. The reservations are consistent even among admirers: the film is too long, the finale especially, and the plot and dialogue are thin. The spread is fairly wide. The Guardian finds it predictable and overindulgent, with stunts that seem to go on for ever, and Slant Magazine calls it a generic heist picture that has abandoned what made the series distinctive. The AV Club, though positive, is uneasy about how cheerfully the film flattens Rio’s poorest neighbourhoods. ## Variety — Robert Koehler Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 April 2011. Koehler calls it the best entry in the series so far and says its blend of familiar elements and novelty should delight audiences. He especially praises the breakneck pacing and the elaborate Rio heist and chase sequences. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/fast-five-1117945052/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B+. 28 April 2011. Tobias finds the film a streamlined, hugely satisfying action sequel that turns its absurdity into an asset. He praises the well-orchestrated setpieces, while noting its troubling destruction of Rio’s poor favelas. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/fast-five-1798168093) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Jones finds the film enormously enjoyable, praising its high-velocity action and returning cast. He says Justin Lin’s picturesque swooping shots are the only blot. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-b8hugv/fast-five/) ## Empire — Nick de Semlyen Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2011. The critic finds it the series’ most entertaining entry despite its clunky scenes and excessive length. Dwayne Johnson’s larger-than-life presence and the extravagantly destructive final chase stand out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fast-furious-5-rio-heist-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating ★★★. 28 April 2011. Ebert gives the film a positive verdict, finding it an effective action spectacle. He singles out the ensemble’s chemistry and the heist’s entertaining scale. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fast-five-2011) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2011. Dargis’s verdict is broadly positive, presenting the film as an especially entertaining entry in the series. She singles out its energetic action spectacle as a key strength. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/movies/fast-five-with-vin-diesel-review.html) ## Film Comment — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Foundas suggests the fifth installment is a success for fans of lowbrow vehicular mayhem. The standfirst singles out its appeal to lovers of that kind of action. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/foundas-on-film-the-arbor-fast-five/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 April 2011. Sharkey finds the film an audacious, entertaining action spectacle, calling it the best entry in the series so far. She praises the rooftop footrace and Diesel–Johnson clashes, but says the long finale and overall runtime should have been cut down. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-apr-29-la-et-fast-five-20110429-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Megan Lehmann Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 2011. Lehmann finds the film a gleefully silly, durable action spectacle that restores goodwill toward the franchise. She praises its metal-crunching set pieces, especially the vault careening through Rio, while noting the weak acting and thin plot. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fast-five-film-review-179847/) ## Vulture — Margaret Lyons Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2018. The critic gives the film a qualified yes, while questioning whether the franchise deserves its progressive reputation. They single out its abundance of hugging and mugging, alongside its approach to race. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2011/05/review_fast_five_in_one_senten.html) ## Time Out — Anna Smith Rating 3/5. 19 April 2011. The three-star rating suggests a mixed-to-positive verdict, while the review notes the franchise’s surprising longevity. The available text does not reveal what else the critic singles out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fast-furious-5) ## Total Film — James Mottram Rating 3/5. 19 April 2011. Mottram finds it an entertaining, full-throttle action film that understands its audience, though it is no mould-breaker. He singles out the train hijacking as the standout sequence and praises Dwayne Johnson’s fit with the franchise. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/fast-five-review/) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2011. French finds the film predictable and overindulgent, despite its spectacular action. He singles out the elaborate car theft and safe-dragging stunts, which he says seem to go on for ever. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/apr/24/fast-five-review) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1.5/4. 26 April 2011. The critic finds the film a dim-witted, generic heist story that abandons the franchise’s distinctive focus. He praises the momentum and brawn of the opening sequence and finale, but complains that the rest is weighed down by a shopworn plot and stock elements. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/fast-five/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 18 April 2011. Lambie finds the film an absurd but hugely entertaining, high-octane action movie. He praises its technical craft and spectacular set pieces, while criticizing the weak writing and slow stretches between them. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fast-and-furious-5-review/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B. 27 April 2011. The review finds the film entertaining despite its excessive length, violence, and diminished car-culture appeal. It praises Lin’s staging and pacing, especially in the climactic vault-dragging chase. [Read the review](https://staging2.theplaylist.net/review-fast-five-keeps-enough-fuel-in-this-aging-franchise-to-still-be-fun-20110427/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2011. Kermode finds the film an enjoyable, energetic success despite its excessive length and formulaic plot. She particularly praises the inventive, destructive car-action set pieces and their pacing. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/fast-five-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/fast-five.md