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Josh Spiegel: I think Joshua is onto something with his last comment. Much in the same way that Tyler Perry movies have tapped into a massive audience in the country, leaving most other executives scratching their heads, the Fast and the Furious franchise has clearly tapped into an equally massive audience that's only growing. Let's also keep in mind two things: a) it's been a while since a seemingly solid action movie was released in theaters and b) the reviews for this movie are ridiculously positive, in that they're not all pans. Maybe what I've dreaded for years is finally happening: the summer movie season no longer starts in May.

Shalimar Sahota: This is an absolutely staggering result. As already mentioned, the films have moved away from street racing towards teaching teens the joys of breaking bigger laws. Although I've not seen the film, from the looks of the trailers, what has me tempted is that the majority (or probably all) of the action looks startlingly real, and without CGI (the trailer for the previous film had a rather ropey looking oil tanker stunt). The positive reviews are a surprise, since there aren't many franchise films that reach a fifth instalment, and given that this is often the point at which they usual wilter out and go straight to DVD, there are even fewer that open this high. Universal knows that they've got a good thing here. Hopefully they don't ruin it.

Max Braden: I think, all other things being equal, if there had been someone else cast instead of Dwayne Johnson, it still would have opened strong because the trailer presented both action and a plot viewers could identify. As Joshua noted, a heist plot probably has broader appeal than simply showing slick cars in drag races. (Witness Johnson's weak $12 million opening for Faster, and the dismal $5 million opening for Nic Cage's Drive Angry, both movies featuring muscle cars in the advertising.) But definitely, putting The Rock opposite Vin Diesel was like a fantasy action matchup which most certainly boosted the weekend box office.

Kim Hollis: I actually believe The Rock mattered to this one, mainly because he's hitting that perfect target demographic during a time when he's returned to the WWE and his profile there is on the rise as well. I think that alone, The Rock isn't necessarily a draw, but when you put him as the foil to the likes of Vin Diesel, you've got something that feels magical.

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