10 Brilliant Movies That Surprised Everyone
7. Fast Five
The Fast & Furious franchise never seemed destined for big things - indeed until 2011 it seemed a little silly to even deem it a franchise. The sequels and prequels had failed to take off since the Vin Diesel and Paul Walker-led original, and quite frankly no one was looking forward to an implausible fifth entry to the series.
That was until they added the not-so-secret ingredient: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. As top cop Luke Hobbs, the musclebound ex-wrestler provided a credible antagonist to the motorhead heroes, and his limitless charisma (and a smart tilt towards action set-pieces and levity, rather than car chase after interminable car chase), elevated Fast Five beyond any of the films that came before it.
From there, the franchise has gone from strength to strength, with Johnson the jewel in the crown (much to the chagrin of Vin Diesel). The movies have cleared a staggering $5 billion and change at the box office, and the spin off machine is working at maximum capacity.
That’s the power of The Rock, proving now and forever that he really is the Great One.