Unlike the trend of many big-budget commercial films shifting to 3D, Fast & Furious 5 was released in 2D both overseas and in North America. To say that Matthew was being considerate by keeping it in 2D might be overstating his virtue. The truth was, he initially considered 3D, but after testing, they realized the results were subpar.
The film featured extensive action and racing scenes, with many shots taken directly from moving cars. Despite using Steadicams, many action sequences couldn't employ them for desired effects, resulting in heavy motion in some scenes. Such shaky action shots were unsuitable for 3D; many people would feel dizzy and even nauseated within minutes.
Before shooting began, Matthew, David Ellison, and Justin Lin decided to keep the 2D format used in Fast & Furious 4.
As Matthew put it, they were showing "industry integrity."
Regardless of the 2D or 3D format, the real selling point of Fast & Furious 5 was still the team led by Matthew's character, Sean.
After the North American premiere, The New York Times dedicated an entire page in its supplement to analyze why Fast & Furious 5 was destined for success. Besides Matthew's popularity and the appeal of sequels, they believed the film was pioneering a new path for commercial action movies.
"In this grand spectacle of Fast & Furious, actors like Matthew Horner, Paul Walker, Gal Gadot, Daniel Wu, and Tyrese Gibson flaunt their ideal physiques, defined personalities, distinct characters, and unique talents. With plenty of eye candy and muscle power, they turn Rio de Janeiro, the city of heaven and hell, upside down, hitting audiences with humor and thrill alike."
"Unquestionably, a team of heroes is far more compelling than a single 'godlike' protagonist. The appeal of team dynamics and collaborative strength will soon spread across Hollywood, inspiring more memorable team-based characters and compelling more blockbuster films to embrace collective energy."
"A closer analysis shows that team-based stories have quietly grown in Hollywood over the years. From the working-class crew in Tower Heist to the suave criminal group in Ocean's Eleven, from the soldiers in G.I. Joe, also starring Matthew Horner, to the uniquely talented X-Men, not to mention the tightly-knit squad in Inception, also featuring Horner, all of these stories showcased teamwork and individual roles. What Fast & Furious 5 does differently, however, is to clearly brand the team as family, bringing teamwork to a peak not seen before in similar Hollywood films."
"With Fast & Furious 5 achieving expected success, team-oriented super casts are likely to become a new trend on the silver screen. Teams will work together and showcase their skills, each member bringing a unique flair to the screen."
"In short, the solo hero of the last century has become passé. Even in this year's Mission: Impossible 4, Tom Cruise is flanked by a team of two men and one woman. In an era where blockbusters need fresh and expanded selling points, films where a single star carries the entire show are fading. Hollywood will continue producing vibrant teams, led by superstars like Matthew Horner and Tom Cruise, paired with beautiful, unlucky, or artistic villains. These films hit audiences' taste for teamwork and chemistry, establishing team dynamics as a highly effective element."
Matthew also saw this article and found The New York Times quite perceptive.
The article mirrored the "Team Cool Factor" concept he had promoted in his publicity rounds.
Team-oriented role collaboration has long existed in Hollywood blockbusters, but nobody had systematically identified it until now. Initially, Matthew assumed that only after The Avengers succeeded would people recognize the unique appeal of team movies. He hadn't anticipated that the "family" theme in Fast & Furious 5 would have such a profound impact.
In the future, Hollywood would certainly see more teams.
One could imagine the "Fast Team," "Avengers Team," "Justice Team," "X-Men Team," "Ocean's Team," "Hunter Team," and "Expendables Team," all fighting for dominance on the big screen with their expertise, intense teamwork, and dynamic lineups.
However, for the "Fast Team" to endure, box office success was essential.
Although the media's label of "most crowded summer blockbuster season ever" might have been exaggerated, the sheer number of high-budget releases indeed packed the schedule.
Just one week before Fast & Furious 5's release, Paramount's Transformers: Dark of the Moon hit North American theaters. However, this typical Michael Bay film encountered some visual fatigue in North America, experiencing a noticeable drop from the second installment, grossing only $97.85 million in its first week, below industry expectations.
The film's focus had clearly shifted to the lucrative international market.
In its second week, Transformers 3 faced competition from Fast & Furious 5, another high-budget film with extensive promotion.
As expected, on its Friday release, Fast & Furious 5 dominated the box office, grossing $55.6 million in one day and easily surpassing Transformers 3's $14.8 million, claiming the top spot.
Both critics and audiences received the film well.
On IMDb, 16,725 viewers rated it 8.6, the highest in the series. CinemaScore collected feedback from 1,557 viewers at the theaters, giving the film an "A" rating. Reviews from 56 media outlets averaged 79 points.
Most critics praised Fast & Furious 5 for its entertainment value: "The best Hollywood blockbuster to watch in theaters this year—Boston Globe"; "A pure five-star thrill!—Hollywood Reporter"; "Well-rounded characters, incredible action scenes, and flawless teamwork—Los Angeles Times"; "A film that pushes all sensory limits—Associated Press"; "Extremely cool and fun!—Entertainment Weekly."
Still, some critics weren't as kind: "This movie should be called 'Slow & Fake' instead of Fast & Furious—Entertainment Online"; "The choppy editing and lightning-fast flashbacks make it hard to even watch, let alone hold down your lunch—World News Weekly."
Overall, Fast & Furious 5 became a double-hit, scoring big at both the box office and with critics.
On Saturday, with positive word of mouth, Fast & Furious 5 maintained a steady trend, grossing $51.2 million.
As several media outlets reported, Fast & Furious 5 was stirring up a "storm" at the summer box office.
By the end of its first weekend, the film had earned $151.23 million in North America, easily surpassing Transformers 3's $47.1 million, taking the top spot on the box office chart.
Notably, Fast & Furious 5 achieved these numbers without the higher ticket prices of a 3D release.
CinemaScore projected that Fast & Furious 5's North American box office would not fall below $350 million.
The film was a strong contender for the title of 2011's highest-grossing film in North America.
While it had just opened in North America, Fast & Furious 5 had premiered overseas the previous week, and in the Asia-Pacific region, it had already completed a full week.
Following a first-weekend box office of 453.38 million yuan, the film continued to draw crowds in its second week, grossing another 495.6 million yuan.
In only a matter of days, Fast & Furious 5 had nearly reached the billion-yuan mark in the Asia-Pacific region, translating to nearly $150 million.
The rapid construction of theaters in the Asia-Pacific market had created prime conditions for growth, and the region's large population continued to show its market potential.
Thanks to the Asia-Pacific boom, Fast & Furious 5's overseas box office now stood at $398.5 million.
Combined, the film's global box office had comfortably surpassed $500 million!
The struggling franchise that Matthew and David Ellison had bought from Universal was now a true money-making machine.
But Matthew and David weren't content with this success. Together with Disney, they invested further in the film's marketing to attract even more viewers.
With substantial investments, Fast & Furious 5 was praised widely.
"Fast & Furious 5 is a masterpiece, delivering the speed and thrill you crave. It won't disappoint!"
"Reportedly, Fast & Furious 5 used the best filming technology available today, with many scenes shot on location, making the car chases feel even more authentic and exciting. With a production budget of $160 million, it stands among Hollywood's top-tier productions. Director Justin Lin, who also helmed the third and fourth films, knows this franchise inside and out, making him the ideal person to continue this series."
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