'Fast Five'review: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker take'Furious'franchise fans on a high-octane ride

Action sequel about a high-stakes heist. With Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson. Director: Justin Lin (2:10). PG-13: language, violence. At area theaters.

Now this is how you make a summer movie.

So what if it's only April?"Fast Five"is determined to kick off popcorn season in high-octane style. And while you may not leave enlightened, you'll definitely be entertained.

Having also helmed the last two"Fast and the Furious"sequels, director Justin Lin has become something of an autoeur, with a clear understanding of what makes these movies work: cool cars, tight chases, and characters we can root for.

The latter is key; without a moral center, the franchise would have fallen apart long before we got to number five. Holding it all together is Dom (Vin Diesel), a big-hearted con who honors family above all. So it's no surprise when his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and her BF—and Dom's BFF—Brian (Paul Walker) risk everything to break him out of prison.

This puts them all on the radar of unstoppable agent Hobbs (Dwayne"the Rock"Johnson), who soon learns Dom wants to rob Brazil's richest man (Joaquim de Almeida).

Coming along for this 180mph ride are several cohorts from other films, including Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris"Ludacris"Bridges), who proved much-needed comic relief. As the team works furiously to plan the heist, Hobbes moves ever closer to his target.

Johnson has always been a good sport, so he gamely pretends the entirely-unthreatening Diesel is his match.

In reality, it's almost comical to see them face off, though there is enough testosterone here to burn a hole through the screen.

Fortunately, Lin and returning writer Chris Morgan know how to work a balancing act. They bring in a stronger female presence to add some human interest; alternate action with emotion; and follow every serious moment with a head-snapping surprise.

Sure, a lot of the dialogue is dopey, and the eternally stiff leads once again compete for blankest delivery. But Lin distracts us well, packing deftly-shot races, explosions, and getaways into every corner.

In fact, the biggest problem is that the movie is way too long: he and Morgan keep throwing out ending after ending, as if they can't bear to let us go.

In a way, though, that's a welcome instinct. Even if you pay extra for Imax (well worth it),"Fast Five"feels like a genuine attempt to give us a good time, rather than the typically-cynical grab for our wallets.

It's not often you leave a sequel this far into a series and think,"How quick can they make number six?"

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Justin Bieber, Mark Wahlberg to be costars: Film will revolve around street basketball

This could be the greatest idea ever . . . or the worst.

Academy Award-nominated actorMark Wahlbergwill be co-starring with none other than teen singing sensationJustin Bieberin an upcoming film about street basketball, according toDeadline.

In fact, it was Wahlberg's idea.

The actor, who would also serve as producer, took notice of Bieber's hoops skills in February when the teen was partaking in theNBA All-StarWeekend celebrity game and then went toParamountto pitch a film idea starring the two.

Deadline is describing the vehicle as"The Color of Money"meets"The Karate Kid."

Although this would be the first film Bieber would act in, he has proven his box-office draw.

His tour documentary,"Never Say Never,"grossed $97 million worldwide; it only cost $13 million to make.

Bieber has already showed off his acting chops in numerous skits on"Saturday Night Live"and two episodes of"CSI."

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Tribeca Film Festival 2011: Unpredictable spring weather doesn't deter fans from star-studded events

The spring weather was reliably unpredictable, but that wasn't enough to deter thousands of film fans who came out for the opening weekend of theTribeca Film Festival.

For many, the highlight wasBrian Williams' interview with an unusually talkativeRobert De Niro, who shared family stories, reminisced about past projects, and waxed philosophical over politics.

Meanwhile, high-wattage premieres for movies like"The Good Doctor,""Angels Crest"and"Jesus Henry Christ"drew stars and star-spotters alike.

Families gathered for outdoor screenings at the World Financial Plaza, and the very patient waited in the drizzle to grab the last seats at buzzed-about titles like"Catching Hell,"Alex Gibney's empathetic documentary aboutAmerica's unluckiest baseball fan.

Between now and next weekend, you'll find smaller crowds. Among the titles you might want to catch Monday is"The Swell Season,"which charts the offscreen relationship of"Once"stars and co-Oscar winnersGlen Hansardand Markéta Irglová.

TheJulia Roberts-produced"Jesus Henry Christ"is another film getting some attention for its comic take on an unconventional family. And those who've seen"Gnarr"have been charmed by its subject, an Icelandic comedian who becomes mayor ofReykjavik(imagineJon Stewartreplacing Bloomberg).

But should you really want to be part of a jostling crowd, you'll get that chance, too. Monday evening's big premiere is"Last Night,"an intimate, intelligent relationship drama starringKeira Knightley,"Avatar'sSam WorthingtonandEva Mendes. There will be a line for those who don't yet have tickets, but before you subject yourself to the madness, remember this: It'll be screening again, without all the chaos, Tuesday.

The Tribeca Film Festival runs through May 1. For schedules, tickets and directions, visit www.tribecafilm.com.

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'Madea's Big Happy Family'comes in #2 at box office: Tyler Perry comedy performs worst in franchise

HaveTyler Perryfans had enough of Madea?

The writer-director-actor extraordinare's 10th film in six years,"Madea's Big Happy Family,"performed the worst of the franchise -- which stars the sassy matriarch (Perry in drag) -- when Madea's name is in the title, according toThe Washington Post.

Although"Madea's Big Happy Family"pulled in $25.8 million at the box office, it still only came in second behind the animated adventure"Rio,"featuring the voices ofAnne HathawayandJesse Eisenberg, which debuted the week before also at number one.

That makes"Big Happy Family"-- which cost $25 million to make -- the weakest opening ever for a Perry flick.

By comparison,"Tyler Perry'sMadea's Family Reunion"opened with $30 million in 2006 and"Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail"made $41 million in it opening weekend in 2009.

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Summer already? A week-by-week movie guide of the season of sequels, superheroes and silly stuff

FAST FIVE (April 29)
Remember whenVin Dieselthought he was too cool for the fast and furious movies that made his name? Whether he's grown up or just faced reality, it looks like he's now in it for the long haul. The story never changes much (big plans, angry enemies, lots of car chases), but directorJustin Linalways inserts new scenery. For the fi fth entry, the boys head toBrazil, where a heist attracts the unwanted attention of fed-
eral agentDwayne (The Rock) Johnson.
Bottom line:Will this franchise ever run out of gas? Maybe not, if the producers are wise enough to keep upgrading with stars like Johnson. E.W.

THOR (May 6)
The fi rst superhero movie out of the gate tells ofMarvel Comics' Norse God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), banished to Earth by his angry dad Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and then forced to battle his evil half-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston).Natalie Port-
man andIdris Elbaco-star.
Bottom line:The pop mythology comes courtesy of directorKenneth Branagh, who isn't that insane a choice when you combine his"Henry V"with his"Frankenstein."If that's some-
thing you really want to do, this may hit you like a hammer. J.N.

JUMPING THE BROOM (May 6)
There aren't nearly enough smart dramedies for adult urban audiences. Prospects look very promising for the big-screen debut fromSalim Akil("Girlfriends,""The Game").Paula PattonandLaz Alonsoare the bride and groom who just want to make it through the wedding, once their mothers-in-law (Angela BassettandLoretta Devine) start meddling.
Bottom line:When you get a proposal from a cast that also includesMike Epps,Tasha Smith,Meagan GoodandJulie Bowen, you defi nitely say,"I do."E.W.

Chris Hemsworth forges ahead in 'Thor.'

SOMETHING BORROWED May 6
ANew Yorkattorney (Kate Hudson) makes a drunken confession on her 30th birthday: She loves her best friend's fiancé (John Krasinski). Uh-oh, he loves her too, which makes her palGinnifer Goodwinunhappy.
Bottom line:Before"Sex and the City"afi cionados get excited about this chick fl ick, they should note that directorLuke Greenfield previously madeRob Schneider's"The Animal"and the teens-meet-a-porn star lark"The Girl Next Door."Apparently, Greenfi eld got a tour of rom-com duty to pay for his crimes. J.N.

THE BEAVER May 6
We try to avoid punch lines that write themselves, so we'll just share the facts and allow you to draw your own conclusions.Mel Gibsonstars as a deeply troubled man who has pushed everyone so far that his only means of communication is a ratty animal puppet he hopes will charm us— sorry, them — into forgiveness.
Bottom line:Director Jodie Foster, who co-stars as Gibson's wife, has been working on this project for years. But now it bears a much heavier burden than when they both began. E.W.

EVERYTHING MUST GO May 6
Will Ferrellgoes for wry drama again (as he did in the indie"Winter Passing") by playing an alcoholic regrouping after losing his wife and job. First order of business: hold a huge yard sale to make some booze money.
Bottom line:Ferrell does down-and-out well (remember him in"Wedding Crashers"? Ah, that one people saw!), but will he click in a film based on a short story byRaymond Carver? J.N.

THERE BE DRAGONS May 6
Director Roland Joffé ("The Killing Fields") directed this dramatic thriller about an investigative journalist (Dougray Scott) who visitsSpainfor a story and discovers his father (Wes Bentley) was a founder of the secretive organization known asOpus Dei.
Bottom line:"The Da Vinci Code: The Early Years,"kinda? J.N.

BRIDESMAIDS May 13
A"Hangover"for the ladies? A starring role forKristen Wiig? Yes, please. We're also thrilled that TV'sPaul Feig("Arrested Development,""The Offi ce") is planning this shindig, which looks like a suitably wild ride. Wiig is the eternally single lady who has no idea what she's getting into when newly engagedMaya Rudolphasks her to be maid of honor.
Bottom line:Apologies to Will and Kate, but this is surely the most fun to be had at a wedding this year. And you don't even have to squeeze yourself into taffeta. E.W.

PRIEST May 13
No, this isn't a 3-D remake of the controversial 1995 drama about a gay man of the cloth. It's a postapocalyptic actioner about a warrior padre fi ghting vam-
pires and kicking undead butt.
Bottom line:Paul Bettany— who played a similar role in"Legion"— is the title character. See, werewolves never have to worry about guys like this. J.N.

HESHER May 13
It wouldn't surprise us ifJoseph Gordon-Levittearned anOscar nominationsomeday. He has the ability to totally transform himself when needed. And it's a good sign that David Michôd, who made last year's impressive thriller"Animal Kingdom,"co-wrote this edgy tale of a boy who befriends Gordon-Levitt's drug-addicted sociopath.
Bottom line:Gordon-Levitt is about to erase any lingering images from"(500) Days of Summer."We're having a harder time buyingNatalie Portmanas a nerdy supermarket cashier. E.W.

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Short Takes:'African Cats,''The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,'When Harry Tries To Marry'

AFRICAN CATS-- 2 STARS
Documentary about two prides of lions inAfrica(1:29). G: Predator attacks. At area theaters.

The third entry in the DisneyNature series ofEarth Day-themed features is noble and lovely, but is weaker than"Earth"and"Oceans."Those films cast a meditative, mesmerizing spell on audiences as they explored our planet."African Cats,"while often adorable and at times gripping, is more of a TV-ready experience. That’s partially due to its imposed narrative: Two lion prides exist on either side of a river on the savanna, dealing with predatory cheetahs and the obligatory lunchtime antelope. It's the circle of life, thoughSamuel L. Jacksongives a hip variation on the wry voice-overs ofDisney's 1950s wildlife shorts, and audiences of any age will always coo at big-pawed baby lions. Humans over 5 won't be shocked at the kills, though someone should make a movie about all those antelope leaping off-screen into waiting jaws. Call it"Losers of the Savanna."

DUMBSTRUCK -- 2 STARS
Documentary about ventriloquists (1:28). Not rated. At Cinema Village.

Leave aside the cliches that spring to mind when you're talking about ventriloquy, and you're left with an earnest but undeniably eye-rolling documentary about the denizens of this odd pocket of show business. That's if it can even be called a business— of the five subjects here, the most successful is a hit on the cruise-boat circuit, and his act seems frozen from around 1975. Then there’s the small-town sweetie crushing her family's hopes that she'll someday stop telling jokes through a puppet's mouth; the middle-aged aficionado on the verge of losing her home, and the eager preteen whose dad doesn’t understand his art. There’s also a glimpse of a ventriloquist convention called VentHaven and the followers of a craft that can trumpetEdgar BergenandCharlie McCarthy(as well asWayland Flowersand  Madam). There isn't enough insight, but we find out a bit of what makes both the people and dummies tick.

INCENDIES -- 4 STARS
A woman's will reveals family secrets to her children (2:10). Not rated: Violence. At Lincoln Plaza and Sunshine Cinema.

In French and Arabic with English subtitles. We are forever surprised at our parents' lives.Director Denis Villeneuve���s"Incendies"uses that as the launching point for a deep-hearted meditation on personal and political terror. As adults,Montrealtwins Jeanne and Simon (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin andMaxim Gaudette) harbor  a banked anger toward their late mother, Nawal. But as her will is read, they discover a bit of why she was who she was: They have a brother they didn’t know about, and the father they believed dead is still alive. Yet those pale before the discovery of Nawal's (Lubna Azabal) political actions before the twins were born. As Jeanne goes to theMiddle East, where her mother grew up, we see in flashback Nawal's evolution from Christian outcast to Muslim convert to aching soul imprisoned for an assassination. Filled with striking images and the ghosts of lives lived in hardship and war,"Incendies"is tough but impactful.

THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD-- 2 STARS
Documentary about directorMorgan Spurlock's attempts to finance a film through corporate sponsorship (1:32). PG-13. At area theaters.

Only the extremely naive will be shocked, shocked by director Morgan Spurlock's dissection of product placement in movies. (Corporations have specific ideas on how they’re portrayed? They want the most saturation for their money? No!). What fun there is here comes from Spurlock using himself as a guinea pig, as he did in"Supersize Me,"and turning his entire personality into a commodity. But that, of course, comes at a price: When he seems to be heading toward potentially  important territory — for example, how areas in and around a school can be bought and paid for by companies — he gets distracted, ignoring the issue of, say, vending machines pushingSnapplein lunchrooms. But this is about him and his movie, after all, and why we see superheroes driving Audis and ingenues chuggingDr Pepper. So, Madison Avenue and Hollywood are money-hungry? Got it. Next scandal, please.

WHENHARRY TRIESTO MARRY -- 2 STARS
An Indian-American bachelor inNYCseeks an arranged marriage (1:33). PG-13. At the Empire 25.

Director Nayan Padrai's cross-cultural romantic comedy is savvy about its influences— a"When Harry Met Sally"riff is right in the title, and it's aware of all the Indian-flavored cliches— yet this sweet if limited film has an agreeable attitude. New Yorker Harry (Rahul Rai), jaded by his parents' split, decides to go old-school with an arranged marriage; he's sure love will eventually blossom with the lovely stranger who is to be his bride. Then he encounters Theresa (Stefanie Estes) during a meet-cute at a bowling alley. Will they finish each other's sentences through life, or will Harry hold fast to his cynical ways? Nothing new under the sun, but Padrai spices things up just enough.

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'Water for Elephants'review: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson lack chemistry, but worth watching

WithRobert Pattinson,Reese Witherspoon. Romantic drama about a runaway who finds love in a 1930s circus. Director:Francis Lawrence(2:02). PG-13: Violence, language, sexuality. At area theaters.

Worth the price of admission but lacking in high-flying feats,"Water for Elephants"is a solemnly faithful rendering ofSara Gruen's book-club favorite. Director Francis Lawrence and writerRichard LaGravenesereplicate just enough of the novel's fantasy to keep audiences involved, even if the results hardly add up to the most spectacular show at the cineplex.

The primary drawback is the lack of chemistry between the leads, Reese Witherspoon and"Twilight's"Robert Pattinson. Pattinson plays Jacob, a veterinary student who hits the rails in 1931 after a family tragedy. He happens to hop a traveling circus train and is instantly enamored of the star act: Marlena (Witherspoon) and her dancing ponies. So far, so blah.

But into this ordinary world leaps an electrifying ringleader:Christoph Waltz. As the circus owner— and Marlena's husband — his August is a desperate brute, whose smooth exterior barely hides a jealous sociopath. Impressed byJacob's Ivy Leagueeducation, he hires the young stowaway to train the animals. When Jacob and the beautiful Marlena start working closely together on a new elephant act, however, his suspicions are (rightly) aroused.

Pattinson is such a passive actor that he needs a strong partner to reflect some depth into his brooding beauty. Witherspoon, stiff and withholding, isn't it. She seems as lost as he does, and Waltz's confident, exaggerated showmanship makes them both look like hesitant kids.

Fortunately, there's enough going on at the edges to distract us from the main event. Lawrence takes great care to convey the 1930s feel, and does capture some of the book's poignant vision of a tattered era.

In addition to Waltz— anOscar winnerfor"Inglourious Basterds"— several supporting actors make a memorable impact. The most notable isHal Holbrookas the aged Jacob, who remembers the story in flashback.
In just a few minutes, he locates the romance that once inspired dreamers to run away with the circus. Depending on how your day is going, he might even convince you to consider it, too.

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