I don't know if I would consider myself a fan of the Fast and the Furious movies, but I have managed to see three out of the five, and I feel as if I should watch the remaining two because I have enjoyed the three. I am not sure where that puts me really. I remember going to see the first. I saw it in the theater, and it was one of the first films I can remember going to see by myself. I discovered that I liked movies enough that I didn't really mind seeing them alone although I ultimately prefer going with some friends. I missed 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift, and for some reason decided to start following the franchise when Fast and Furious came out. The only justification behind my actions I can come up with is that Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were finally back together. That logic holds for wanting to see Fast Five so I did. The addition of Dwayne Johnson didn't hurt the odds either. Overall, I would rate it as the second best of the series preceded by only the first. I cannot say this definitively until I watch the other two, but I am convinced my opinion won't change. They are now in my Netflix cue so it is only a matter of time. There is a nice Easter Egg at the end of the credits, which means there are plans for a sixth. Admittedly, the end heist/chase sequence was amazing except that I am pretty sure the police in Rio don't drive Dodge Chargers. Paul Walker makes a much better car choice by the end when he picks up the Nissan GTR. I would also rate it as Dwayne Johnson's second best film beaten by only The Rundown. All in all, it was not a bad way to start to summer movie season even though it is technically still spring.
Next, I saw Thor. Only a short decade or so ago, in the wake of the first X-Men and Spider-Man movies, Hollywood decided that superhero movies were profitable. As a result, quite a few followed among which there were many I would consider to be B-superhero movies. Daredevil and Ghost Rider come to mind. Shudder. More recently, Batman was gloriously reborn by Chris Nolan and Iron Man was put on the map by Robert Downy Jr who was in turn put on the map again by Iron Man. B-superhero movies are trying to make their mark, and I believe Thor has succeeded. As tends to be my preference anymore, I skipped the pointless 3D showing for the brighter 2D version. Yes, it reminded me of costumes I might see an Eighties hair band wear (my thoughts on the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil coming soon). Yes, it was a little cheesy perhaps, and yes, Natalie Portman is a particle physicist. All of this, and it was directed by none other than Gilderoy Lockhart. It seems like the odds are against it, but it worked. I was entertained, and I am just a little more interested in and excited for The Avengers movie that is coming soon thanks to another good Easter Egg following the credits. So far, this summer's movies are just starting to hit their stride. I haven't subjected myself to Pirates 4 yet so this may all change, but with Green Lantern and Harry Potter 7b down the pipeline this summer is likely to be a smoking good one for films.
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