"The premiere of "Fast 5" came to an end, and judging by the preliminary audience interviews, the film's word-of-mouth reception exploded in a way that completely defied expectations, leaving everyone utterly astonished!
Before the release of the fifth installment, "Fast & Furious" had remained relatively stable in terms of its creative style, target audience, market positioning, and public perception: a B-grade action flick, pure popcorn entertainment.
For such films, their trajectory was usually predictable. For instance, when the news of Dwayne Johnson's imminent involvement had spread like wildfire, no one was surprised because it aligned perfectly with the series' style. However, the unexpected choice of Renly was a monumental deviation from the norm, a massive surprise that veered off course, sparking a storm of controversy among the media and audiences alike. Almost everyone doubted this unconventional choice.
Similarly, the film's critical feedback, including professional reviews, IMDb ratings, Rotten Tomatoes scores, cinema ratings, and popcorn ratings, followed suit. From critics to the general public, the reception remained as consistent as ever.
The previous four installments of the series had been heavily criticized by professional film critics. Their respective ratings, in chronological order, were 58, 38, 45, and 46, never managing to pass muster and consistently falling short of satisfying expectations.
Likewise, mainstream media didn't hold back either, with Rotten Tomatoes scores for the four films at 53%, 36%, 37%, and a dismal 28%, with the overall trend being even worse than professional reviews.
Even the fourth installment, which had somewhat restored Universal Pictures' confidence, wasn't spared from the deluge of negative reviews, clearly indicating the media's disdain for the series. It's no wonder that when "Fast 5" clashed with "Thor" in a highly publicized showdown, the news media showed no interest. In their eyes, this series, now on its fifth installment, had no need for further production and certainly didn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as "Thor".
If the media's harsh criticism was driven by their professional standards, even for popcorn commercial movies, they hoped for something akin to "Avatar" or "Inception", if not "The Dark Knight". The audience's vehement criticism further confirmed the series' B-grade status.
IMDb ratings, reflecting the opinions of more seasoned viewers, for the first four installments were 6.7, 5.9, 6.0, and 6.6, not stellar by any means, not even reaching a solid 7, but at least they managed to pass or hover near the passing grade. It was evident that audience expectations for popcorn entertainment were more forgiving.
This leniency was also reflected in the cinema ratings, with the scores for the previous four films consistently hovering around the same level: B+, A-, A-, and A. Objectively speaking, an "A" cinema rating was in line with commercial movie expectations, providing a boost to box office performance. "A-" was just barely passing, but the "Fast & Furious" series, at least, managed to pass.
On the other hand, the popcorn ratings from ordinary audiences could be considered supplementary reference data. The scores for the four films were 74%, 50%, 69%, and 67%. For a commercial film, even the first film's 74% was a major disappointment, falling short of the minimum popcorn standard of 80%, not to mention the other three dismal figures.
Overall, the film series had indeed garnered a relatively loyal audience base with straightforward expectations: luxury cars, high-speed chases, and excitement – that was all they needed. However, for the broader general audience, the series lacked appeal, and the cast lacked charisma, which was clearly reflected in the box office numbers.
Among the previous four installments, the fourth had the best box office performance, with $150.5M in North America and $360M worldwide. Considering the $85M production cost, it did turn a profit but couldn't be considered outstanding.
Whether from the perspective of critics or the audience, the "Fast & Furious" series had never been praised. It had never been acclaimed, not even close. Even the fourth installment, which had rekindled Universal Pictures' confidence, fell short of being praiseworthy. Yet now, the fifth installment was receiving an explosive wave of acclaim? Even if it was just the premiere, it still triggered a chorus of astonishment: What on earth had happened?
From the fourth to the fifth installment, what had caused the film to undergo such a dramatic transformation? As people perused the entire production and cast of "Fast 5", including the producers, and then reviewed the interviews after the premiere, involving four different media outlets, they effortlessly discovered a common factor – or perhaps an uncommon one.
Renly Hall.
The sole difference between the fourth and fifth installments was Renly, and all four media interviews mentioned Renly's outstanding performance. This was truly astonishing, yet undeniably real. The decision to replace Dwayne Johnson with Renly Hall, initially criticized as a foolish move, had now become the catalyst for the film's revitalization?
Even in the land of Hollywood dreams, where miracles abounded and anything was possible, this was truly beyond belief!
Perhaps the audience sampling at the premiere was inaccurate? Maybe the recent buzz and media frenzy had shifted the focus? Perhaps Renly's fans had dominated the night? Perhaps the reporters themselves were supporters of Renly? Perhaps... perhaps there were other subjective or objective reasons that led to such an erroneous and unexpected outcome?
But then, before various speculations and musings could fully develop, they were abruptly extinguished, smothered in their infancy. This was because the first wave of media reviews coincided with the audience's sentiments, aligning perfectly with The Seattle Post's sample survey!
Unbelievable!
Following the audience, even the film critics were now heaping praise upon "Fast 5"? Even the film critics were commending Renly? Even film critics were singing praises for this B-grade film series? These were the discerning and sharp-tongued critics! This was truly a tale from the Arabian Nights, and this summer's box office was poised for a major upheaval!
After the premiere, a whopping forty-three professional media outlets wrote reviews. This number was an absolute triumph compared to the twenty-eight outlets that had written reviews for the fourth installment two years ago. The disparity was beyond imagination, clearly indicating a quantum leap in progress.
The quantity of media attention reflected the film's prominence, an unusual occurrence in the realm of commercial cinema. On the positive side, the buzz surrounding the premiere undoubtedly had garnered an incredible focus on "Fast 5". On the negative side, more nit-picking media reviews had surfaced, and professional film critics were not the easiest bunch to please.
However, this time, "Fast 5" had successfully turned its disadvantages into advantages!
Foremost among them was the magazine Variety.
This industry-leading professional magazine not only expressed its support for "Thor" on the eve of the premiere but also meticulously analyzed the shortcomings of "Fast 5". It believed that for this film to win, it would need a miracle. The calm and objective analysis, coupled with comprehensive content, once again earned it the recognition of peers in the industry. Moreover, it became the barometer for box office trends.
After the premiere, Variety's chief film critic, Stephen Holden, promptly published his short review, demonstrating his concern and attention to the opening battle.
Behind this, it could be seen that Hollywood insiders, led by Variety, were closely monitoring the box office performance of comic book adaptations of superhero films in the summer season and their subsequent impact on the entire film industry. In other words, the battle between "Fast 5" and "Thor" had a much hotter reception than anyone had imagined.
"This is undoubtedly a dazzling action spectacle, proving that this series has broken free from its B-grade constraints and officially ascended to the potential of a top-tier commercial franchise."
In the opening sentence, Stephen offered his praise and continued the trend, "In the narrow, sweltering streets of Rio de Janeiro, a breathtaking showdown takes the film's atmosphere to a climax, with all the elements to make the audience scream and thrill:
Thrilling chases through the streets, accompanied by explosions, destruction, and heart-pounding pursuits, a boundless imagination that repeatedly shatters people's preconceptions, and a dreamlike presentation of Hollywood's cinematic prowess, all punctuated by an adrenaline rush that will make every viewer experience the ultimate audio-visual feast.
Justin Lin has done it; he has successfully elevated the series to a whole new level, breathing new life into it and making people begin to anticipate the immense success of this film in the commercial arena."
In contrast to previous predictions, Stephen lavished almost all his praises on the film, sparking a genuine interest in "Fast 5" from the perspective of appreciating popcorn entertainment. But that was not the end.
"The most wonderful part of the film undoubtedly lies in Hall's addition. This young actor has not only proven his outstanding and solid acting skills once again but has also displayed his agile body and charming charisma. There's no doubt that Hall is the biggest gain of this summer season and the wisest choice for the series!"
Boom, boom, boom! From the audience to the film critics, "Fast 5", taking the initiative in this opening battle, had just scored a point!"