Ultimate Movie Year finds the best films from weekends past to build an all-star lineup of cinema.

"Fast Five"
Released April 29, 2011
Directed by Justin Lin

Back in the early 2010s, movies were about to be revolutionized by a project featuring the heroes of different films coming together to fight a common enemy. This idea became a surprise box office smash and reinvigorated a film series to become a global juggernaut while making its stars household names.

"The Avengers" came out in 2012. The same premise also applies to "Fast Five," released almost exactly a year earlier. But while the Marvel Studios movies were able to rely on popular characters, decades of story ideas from the comics, and new special effects that could imagine virtually any scenario, "Fast Five" had none of these advantages, and yet still succeeded by driving in the opposite direction.

The film is a modern throwback to the action movies, but the real secret of "Fast Five's" massive success lies in its commitment to multiculturalism. For the first time, Hollywood promoted a significant action franchise where diversity was not an afterthought, but baked into its DNA.