| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this is the fifth in a series of action movies that began with 2001's The Fast and the Furious. This one is more of a heist movie than a slam-bang racing movie, but it's still heavy on violence. Property is destroyed more frequently than people, though many minor characters are shot and killed (one bloodily), and there are some brutal fistfights. Language includes one "f--k" and several uses of "s--t." There's social drinking, kissing between a couple, and many scantily clad women on display and treated as sex objects.
After the events of Fast & Furious, Dominic (Vin Diesel) is arrested and sent to prison. So his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), and her ex-cop boyfriend, Brian (Paul Walker), break him out and hightail it to Rio to hide out. There, they get involved in a car robbery that goes badly; to avenge themselves and earn enough money to clear their tarnished reputations, they assemble a team and plan to steal a fortune from a local gangster (Joaquim de Almeida). Unfortunately, this involves breaking into police headquarters. Worse, a gung-ho cop (Dwayne Johnson) is after them and won't stop until they're caught.
After practically sinking the series with the terrible The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), director Justin Lin refreshed things by changing the series from testosterone-fueled car racing action to Ocean's Eleven- and Italian Job-style heists. The movies still objectify women and feature lots of car chases, but at least they also have some clever stunts and amazing set pieces.
In particular, there's a great bungled robbery in which the thieves try to steal three cars from a moving train; and then, at the climax, we get a has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed robbery involving two supercharged cars. These moments are beautifully handled, more so than the more typical shaky fight scenes. Despite the movie's overlong feel (it clocks in at 130 minutes) and its general lack of originality or responsibility, it has enough slam-bang, popcorn-munching action to keep most fans happy.
Families can talk about the movie's violence. How did it affect you? Does it seem at all realistic? How does that change its impact?
How does the movie treat women? Do you think they're included because of who they are or how they look? What effect does this have on a female audience's body image? What effect does it have on a male audience?
What makes these characters sympathetic -- even heroic -- even though they steal and destroy things? Can you think of other movies where "bad guys" are the heroes?
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Justin Lin |
| Cast: | Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 130 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 29, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | October 4, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language |