Here’s something I didn’t expect: Fast & Furious 5 – or simply Fast Five if you’re in a hurry and not nearly as furious about it – is the most entertaining film thus far in the gas-guzzling franchise. Admittedly, the competition hasn’t exactly been stiff; the only thing I found more traumatic than sitting through the first four instalments was the shenanigans in the cinema’s car park afterwards. (Seriously, don’t see these movies at the Drive-In). But director Justin Lin, having helmed the last three Fast & Furious films, has clearly learnt a thing or two about engaging his audience on a visceral level, staging what are easily the most exhilarating – not to mention logic-defying – action sequences of the series to date. Sure, Fast Five is just as stupefying as the others when it comes to pesky things such as characterisation and plotting, but believe it or not, even the most cynical of critics can enjoy a burly boy’s film in which cars go fast, women run hot and things blow up reeeaaal good.

The film kicks off spectacularly with carjacking couple Brian and Mia (Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster, still stubbornly avoiding acting lessons) leading an assault on a prison bus in order to bust out their ringleader Dom (Vin Diesel, still sounding as though he snacks on gravel). The trio then head to Rio de Janeiro in order to lay low — if by lay low you mean steal a collection of exotic cars from a speeding train. Their escapades lands them in hot water with Brazilian drug lord Hernan Rayes (Joaquim de Almeida), who had some important cargo stashed in one of the stolen cars and would very much like it back. Sensing an opportunity to make some serious dosh, the trio commit to doing One Last Last LAST Job – as opposed to the other Last Jobs they did in the previous films — before calling it a day. The plan? Steal Rayes’ drug money. All $100 million of it.

To help them pull off their daring heist, they call upon some ol’ friends from the first four movies – including Ludacris, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, and Gal Gadot — each of whom are desperate for a paycheck (the actors, not the characters). But it turns out the job is far harder than they initially thought, especially with the gun-ho DSS Agent Hobbs hot on their trail. Hobbs is played with amusing intensity by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who curiously goes through the entire film with an Anaconda draped over his shoulders that is currently in the process of digesting two baby elephants. Wait, no… they’re just his biceps.

Whilst still incapable of writing dialogue that isn’t unintentionally hilarious, screenwriter Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious, Wanted) deserves credit for mixing up the tired street racing formula with some Ocean’s 11-styled antics. Ok, so the gang’s elaborate plan to sneak into Rayes’ safe hilariously gives way to “f*ck it, let’s just drive through the wall,” but hey, it would have been out of character had it gone down any other way.  It also paves the way for one breathtaking chase sequence throughout downtown Rio – an exotic, chaotic setting that Lin gets great mileage from – that will surely cause any physicists in the audience to have an aneurysm.  Ludacris doesn’t even begin to describe the insanity of this climactic scene, but then again, I have no idea what that crazy rapper is saying at the best of times.

After a decade of the Fast & Furious franchise burning rubber across our screens, Fast Five feels a lot like a ‘Best Of’ compilation, a meld of all the components the previous films got right. There’s still a heck of a lot wrong with it, but when the action is this exciting and innovative – not to mention coherently edited! – it’s hard to be too disappointed. Don’t leave your brain at the door like other critics are suggesting, just hide it behind a beer helmet and gleefully guzzle Teh Stoopid away.

Follow the author Anders Wotzke on Twitter.