"But the most outstanding part is the new actor they brought in..."
It was unexpected, absolutely unexpected. From a personal standpoint, Eli naturally hoped that more people would praise Renly, but he knew it was unrealistic. In a popcorn movie, this was indeed no easy task, especially in a supporting role. Unless it was Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight".
So, what was happening now?
Puzzled as he was, Eli kindly reminded, "Renly."
The towering big guy waved his hand dismissively. "I don't know his name, but his performance is... amazing!" It was evident that his vocabulary was limited, and he repeatedly used a few similar adjectives, but his shining, lively eyes brought his meaning to life.
The big guy turned to look at the crowd around him, and his obvious height advantage made the scene even more peculiar. "You know what? He's up against Diesel and Walker all by himself, and he's not falling behind at all! Although compared to "The Rock", Diesel may not be much, but he's not just for show."
In the midst of the lively conversation, personal preferences became evident. "Watching their fight scenes is really thrilling, even more so than the car chases. I was looking forward to The Rock joining to see if there would be more sparks, but now it seems that this actor is also good. We've got speed and excitement. That's the kind of movie that's enjoyable."
He wasn't a plant. Eli was quite sure. But such words of praise—calling the third lead the biggest highlight of a commercial popcorn movie? This was absolutely surreal!
Eli looked around at the group, seeking confirmation. "What do you think?"
"Indeed. I also think Renly's performance was outstanding. Of course, car chases are still the movie's signature, but this time, Renly really shone."
"I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like Renly's character was well-written. It feels like there's a story behind it, and the fight scenes were really impressive."
"Yeah, yeah, I feel the same way. When I used to watch this series, it was just for the car chases. After watching it today, I felt that something was off. You're right; Hobbs is really charismatic, isn't he? I was just discussing with my friends earlier whether he's back from Vietnam or was a special forces soldier in Africa."
Vietnam referred to the Vietnam War, a conflict that had left a profound impact on American culture, including movies, music, books, and everyday conversations.
"Really? I didn't think much about it; I still prefer the final car chase part. But what you said makes sense. That's the difference!"
"You're right; now that you mention it, it does seem that way."
...
The bustling discussions began to spread, and everyone seemed to forget Eli's presence, reverting to their roles as audience members. They found like-minded companions and excitedly began to share their experiences and exchange ideas. But the core of every conversation confirmed one thing:
"The movie was great, and Renly was outstanding."
Eli was completely taken aback. Clearly, that towering giant wasn't a plant. The audience around him was proving through their actions that the tale of a thousand and one nights was unfolding. This was simply unbelievable.
After bidding farewell to the giant and the chattering group of audience members discussing the plot, Eli took a moment to calm down. He needed to enrich his interview samples. What was happening? What had occurred inside the movie theater? What surprises had "Fast 5" brought?
Then, amidst the crowd, he spotted a couple. The man was dressed in a suit, and the woman wore a red evening gown. They were impeccably dressed, standing out conspicuously from the surrounding audience. It seemed as though this wasn't the premiere of a popcorn commercial movie but a formal high-end evening party.
Eli approached them and, after obtaining their consent, posed his question, "Did you enjoy the movie?"
The tall, elegant woman didn't answer immediately but pondered for a moment. "Hmm, I think it was quite good. Better than your typical popcorn movie. The entire viewing experience was quite enjoyable." Her response seemed somewhat restrained and plain compared to the excited and jubilant faces around her.
"What part of the movie left the most impression on you?" Eli inquired further.
The woman raised her head to look at her boyfriend. "What was the name of that FBI agent again?"
The man shrugged, wearing an expression of helplessness. "I don't know his name. In the movie, he's called Hobbs."
"Yes, Hobbs," the woman turned back and affirmed, "He left a deep impression. I can still remember his lines, "I like her smile"." After saying this, she seemed to recall a scene from the movie, and her smile couldn't help but bloom.
Sensing Eli's inquiring gaze, the man standing next to her also nodded in agreement. "Personally, I'm looking forward to "Thor" next week because of the groundwork laid by "Iron Man". I feel their production team is more mature. Compared to that, the previous "Fast & Furious" films were just so-so. Maybe it's because I had no expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised after watching it."
The man's conversation flowed at a steady pace, clearly expressing his thoughts. "Especially Hobbs. His performance far exceeded my expectations, whether it was in the fight scenes or the dialogue. Honestly, Vin and Paul didn't have much room to shine this time. Hobbs stole the spotlight, but it was indeed very impressive."
Was this for real? The first and second male leads didn't have room to shine? Then who should have had room to shine? What exactly had happened in "Fast 5"?
After a momentary pause, the man added, "The only regret is that Hobbs didn't have any car chase scenes. There were too many car chases for Dominic! I felt a bit aesthetically fatigued. If Hobbs and Brian had a car chase together, it would have been fantastic."
As soon as he finished speaking, the woman took a half-step forward and added, "I agree with that. My biggest regret is that Hobbs had too little screen time. It seems like his character has many untold stories, and he's more charming than Dominic and Brian."
Eli felt like his thought process couldn't keep up. Discussing the personal charm of the main character in a popcorn commercial movie? This wasn't a lone-hero action franchise like "007" or "Mission: Impossible"; in a series, a character introduced for the first time actually had more backstory than the ones that had been around for four films? What kind of logic was this? Was this movie a personal showcase for Hobbs?
His mind was filled with question marks, and this confusion didn't dissipate but rather intensified during the subsequent interviews.
"I think Paul Walker still has charisma, but indeed, the most remarkable this time was Renly Hall. I watched "Buried" the last time, and he left quite an impression. Now, I'm curious about his other movie, the one that received nominations at Sundance."
"Comparison helps to evaluate, right? Heh. Vin... how should I put it, he's a good action actor, but he really seemed clumsy compared to the new opponent this time. Nevertheless, the movie is enjoyable, especially the final car chase scene. Wow, I won't spoil it, let's leave the surprise."
"I'd rate it eight out of ten. Six points are for the movie's smooth plot, which was quite comfortable to watch and met my expectations. The other two points are for the new character; he truly shone."
"Uh, can I give it a ten? Hahaha. I really liked it, genuinely liked it. After the official release, I'll watch it a second time. Everything, I liked everything, every part. Yes, this new actor is very likable, very outstanding; I think he's quite charming."
"It's good, seriously good. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. As for the characters, the others didn't offer many surprises, but the new guy was impressive. What's his name again? Renly Hall, right? I heard he got nominated for an Oscar before, didn't he?"
"Yes, I liked Renly the most. No, it was my first time watching his work. I only found out about him recently because of all the buzz. But he's genuinely a good guy, and his scenes were fantastic. It's a pity he had too little screen time. If there's another one, can they give him more scenes?"
...
Strange, it was definitely strange. There were always peculiar things happening, but this year, it seemed like there were even more. After the premiere of "Fast 5", the movie received a flood of praise; that was the first oddity. Renly became the most talked-about actor or character; that was the second oddity. Faced with Vin and Paul's competition, Renly remained strong; this was the feedback that stood out the most. This was the third oddity.
So, who could tell him what exactly was going on with "Fast 5"?
Eli couldn't help but feel restless. He regretted not going directly to the premiere; instead, he was tormented outside. Now, he wanted to watch it as soon as possible, but it was already too late, and he had to wait until the full release on Friday. The problem was, it was still two days away. Eli could already foresee that these would be very excruciating two days.
Standing in place, Eli continued to try and interview more audience members, further exploring the situation. Suddenly, he saw someone rushing toward him, shouting frantically, "Renly is so cool! Renly is so cool!" The person paid no attention to Eli's intentions, their eyes wide open, continuously screaming, like a rock star, shouting at the top of their lungs, "This is a man, this is a man! A man!"
After saying that, without saying much else, they bounced away, leaving Eli standing there alone, disheveled in the wind.