Weekend Movie Forecast: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Vs. Werner Herzog

You have got to be kidding. Another Fast and the Furious movie? There were four of them already? Christ. Fast Five? Oh, that's original. For the love of Pete, who greenlights these movies? Wait...what's that? Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's in it? SOLD. Say what you will about this ridiculous film franchise, but Vin Diesel and The Rock in the same frame is capable of producing enough energy to power a small village for a decade. There hasn't been collective body mass like this since Predator. Plot: High speed chase movie/souped-up car porn starring two large men named after a type of engine and the naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals, respectively.So get this: reviews have not been terrible, with actual praise coming from Scott Tobias at The A.V. Club who says: "Like a proper action sequel, itâs bigger, louder, and sillier than its predecessors, but itâs more streamlined, too, smartly dumping the tired underground racing angle in favor of a crisp, hugely satisfying Oceanâs Eleven-style heist movie."Fast Five may be lizard-brain escapismâand thereâs something unsettling about how it lays waste to Rioâs desperately poor favelasâbut nonsense this well-orchestrated is a rare and precious thing." — Gothamist

Robert Horan

Published Apr 29, 2011

Modified Apr 29, 2011

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Click on the film stills for more details and reviews of this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include: Fast Five, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Prom, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, 13 Assassins, The Arbor, The Robber, Sympathy for Delicious, Drop Edges of Yonder: The Films of Rudy Wurlitzer, and Sante Sangre.