After the premiere concluded, "Fast 5" unquestionably became the center of attention. In this prelude that had a significant bearing on the trend of the opening battle, Universal Pictures had successfully taken the lead, earning approval from both the audience and the media.
Variety, without any psychological constraints, overturned its previous predictions. Chief film critic Stephen Holden lavished praise on the film in his review and singled out Renly for special commendation, believing that Renly was the key to the film's chemical reaction, aligning with The Seattle Post's sample survey.
This not only unveiled the acclaim frenzy surrounding "Fast 5" but also placed all the focus squarely on Renly's shoulders. Representing Variety, Stephen awarded the film a score of 88, marking a splendid beginning among the 43 media reviews and laying a solid foundation.
The film critic from Us Weekly, Scott Tobias, opened with a series of exclamations, "Good Lord, unbelievable!"
He then continued with a string of adjectives, "Thrilling, exciting, witty, lively, delightful, and most importantly, beyond imagination. This film completely breaks away from the patterns and routines of the previous four series films, presenting a captivating dark world where crime intertwines with justice, friendship intertwines with regulations, and the spectacular scenes are not merely special effects but actual combat. It sets an excellent example for the summer box office and establishes an impressive benchmark. It is truly astonishing!"
He concluded with a series of statements, "The film's success can largely be attributed to Renly. This fresh face is more like the true core of the entire film: in the face of justice, can laws and rules be broken? In the face of emotions, should reason and morals compromise? And in the face of sheer force, are fists and brains the right answer? Hall's portrayal oozes charm, concealing rich stories and immense charisma. Making his debut, he has become the linchpin for the complete transformation of the entire film!"
Due to Gavin Hunter's affiliation, Us Weekly was considered by many as a loyal supporter of Renly. This time, film critic Scott continued in this vein and awarded a high score of 90. This was the only score above 90 among the professional reviews after the premiere of "Fast 5", and of course, it was also the first above 90 among all five films in the series.
First Variety, then Us Weekly. "Fast 5" displayed an absolutely dominant posture in the initial media reviews. Coupled with the enthusiastic reception from the premiere audience, this film was on the rise, basking in a halo of glory. For a commercial film, this was truly incredible. For a sequel film in a series that had been widely criticized in its previous four installments, it was even more mind-boggling.
In fact, not all was rosy around "Fast 5".
Peter Travis from Rolling Stone magazine believed, "The plot twists in the film evoke memories of eleven-year-old boys playing games in the schoolyard, a chaotic and noisy mix of beginnings, middles, and ends, like a joke. Apart from Hobbs, played by Hall, the other characters seem to be striving to prove, "I'm handsome, I'm alpha, I'm powerful," but in reality, they are just a group of self-assured criminals."
Finally, Peter concluded his mockery in a sarcastic manner, "This film will touch all your buttons, including the ones that shouldn't be touched, of course."
With a mere score of 63, Rolling Stone magazine's stance was crystal clear. This marked the third time Peter had criticized Renly's work, following "Buried" and "Like Crazy". Whether this seasoned film critic had personal grievances against Renly was unknown, but what was certain was his complete lack of enthusiasm for Renly's work. In a chorus of praise, he steadfastly poured cold water.
This time, Rolling Stone was not alone; Entertainment Weekly and Empire magazine also joined the same camp.
Empire gave it a score of 60, which was a failing grade, and Sean Levy wrote in his review, "Stone-faced, sharp-eyed, muscular. This work looks like a full-value brawl with zero IQ. Every character is pretending without knowing what they're pretending. The only exception, Renly Hall, becomes another fool after a change in the latter part, completely ruining the character's construction. This is the stupidest, grandest, worst, and most boring work you can find on the big screen this summer."
Fully unleashed, this was true firepower, almost covering the entire film. However, interestingly, Sean's score of 60 was the only passing score among the five films in this series. From this perspective, it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
The real disaster was created by Entertainment Weekly. This entertainment magazine, which had been in the limelight for the past few months, was repeatedly able to seize on hot topics, attracting countless eyeballs, and this time was no exception. Amidst the praise for "Fast 5", Lisa Shazbaum raised the banner of opposition and subjected the film to an all-round criticism.
"If you're curious why such a disastrously terrible film lasts for two whole hours, it's because it opens the cliché playbook, reads every detail, every prop, and every method carefully and attentively, then assembles them all haphazardly. By the way, Renly Hall looks like an Adam Sandler without a brain."
Lisa even used derogatory terms, "Adam Sandler".
As everyone knows, Adam Sandler is the typical representative of a comedian without acting skills, ambition, effort, or attitude. He has always been satisfied with his identity as a comedian and content with his routine performances year after year. He consistently films a batch of terrible movies that critics slam every year but is unwilling to change. Completely complacent with the status quo. Additionally, Adam is known for his expressionless acting.
From this, it was clear that Lisa's disdain and anger left no room for mercy as she publicly humiliated "Fast 5" and, of course, Renly. The final score was a masterpiece, displaying Lisa's rejection to the fullest: 38 points.
Yes, only 38 points. This was the only failing score among the first batch of reviews for "Fast 5", and it plummeted straight to 38 points, vividly showcasing Entertainment Weekly's extreme abhorrence. Even Sean from Empire paled in comparison.
In the world of film, there's a natural law: for every positive review, there's a negative one; for every critic, there's a supporter. This holds true for any film, especially in the realm of commercial cinema.
Luckily, among the 43 professional media reviews of "Fast 5", only three gave it negative reviews, single-digit scores. Beyond that, ten gave mixed reviews with both positives and negatives. Furthermore, a whopping thirty media outlets, thirty of them, unanimously gave it praise, unleashing a wave of accolades.
Hollywood Reporter, with a score of 83, wrote, "Explosions galore, sizzling beauties, roaring male hormones, and not to mention, the charming and agile, powerful and charismatic Renly Hall. He might just be the hottest federal agent on the screen this summer, an irresistible attraction for young audiences. For a popcorn action movie, one couldn't ask for more."
Vanity Fair, with a score of 80, said, "You can think of the "Fast & Furious" series as a car that has undergone various upgrades, improving every aspect, but it was still unsatisfactory until now. Renly Hall's addition turns this car upside down, almost making it irresistible, rejuvenating it with new life. Even though it still has many flaws, you've already fallen in love with this car."
Los Angeles Times, with a score of 75, noted, "This is a straightforward movie, and that's not surprising at all. Strong muscles, dirty tough guys, various racing cars, self-explanatory lines, and predictable emotional transitions—everything is straightforward and easy to understand. A movie like "Fast 5" is hard to dislike. It achieves its goal, igniting a sense of pleasure in the audience whenever it gets a chance. The only regret is that Renly Hall's role didn't live up to expectations."
The New York Times, with a score of 80, asked, "Is this the worst film in the series? No. Action scenes full of entertainment, a narrative pace that flows smoothly, and the creation of fast-paced excitement. The film pushes the entertainment value of popcorn to its extreme. It's already surpassed any previous installment in the series in this regard. Is this the best work in the series? Yes. Renly Hall's character gives the script more depth and space, and his effortlessly charismatic performance elevates this commercial film beyond its original roughness and chaos. Every character becomes more reasonable. Unfortunately, the script couldn't match Hall's performance, hindering the leap from 80 to 90."
The Village Voice, with a score of 75, said, "Who would have thought that a series could make a leap from quantity to quality? Placing Renly Hall in opposition to Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, fighting two against one, is either a brilliant idea or a crazy one. Justin Lin successfully accomplished a stroke of genius in filming. Hall's presence gave the film more excitement and spark, along with a deeper story and meaning. The raw simplicity of a B-movie transformed into an adrenaline-fueled carnival. Congratulations."
USA Today, with a score of 70, stated, "This is an incredibly foolish film with no deeper meaning, but that's enough, precisely what the summer season needs. Renly Hall truly shines."
Praise, praise, and more praise; stunning, stunning, and even more stunning!
Against the odds, "Fast 5" delivered a high media review score of 73, not only setting a new record for the series but also formally challenging "Thor". Now that one side has taken the initiative, how will "Thor" respond?