Universal Pictures releases Fast X in UK cinemas on May 19, 2023.
Synopsis
The end of the road begins. Fast X, the tenth film in the Fast & Furious Saga, launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s most storied and popular global franchises, now in its third decade and still going strong with the same core cast and characters as when it began.
Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone—that Dom loves, forever.
In 2011’s Fast Five, Dom and his crew took out nefarious Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes and decapitated his empire on a bridge in Rio De Janeiro. What they didn’t know was that Reyes’ son, Dante (Aquaman’s Jason Momoa), witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price. Dante’s plot will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son (Leo Abelo Perry, Black-ish) is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance.
Review
Where to start with Fast X… If you’re a fan of the previous films, you don’t really need to prepare for what’s going to be thrown at you. Essentially, you’ve seen it all before. However, and this is a ‘big’ however… They have somehow outdone themselves. Now, that’s not to say that Fast X is a great film, there’s a lot of baggage that weighs it down substantially, but there is no denying Fast X‘s ability to wow the audience and offer the biggest spectacle imaginable. Fast X is carnage of the best kind and it embraces that with open arms. Once you can look past its flaws, which is easily done, Fast X is a thoroughly enjoyable ride full of thrills, stunts and that sweet vehicle action that put the franchise on the map.
Fast X is bigger, far more extravagent and more ridiculous than its predecessors, and that is exactly why it works. You’ll always hear people question why there are ten Fast & Furious movies, and the answer is simple. The films forget logic completely and strive towards something pure… Escapism in its purist form. 2 hour and 20 minutes felt like half that as soon as the lights dimmed. Fast X delivers some of the wildest and most visually pleasing action we’ve had in quite some time. It is non-stop from the very start and, much like Dominic Toretto himself, it doesn’t relent. It gains momentum, becoming increasingly more explosive and absurd, and just keeps going.
Fast X thrives in the absurdity and the entire cast and crew have to be commended and congratulated for some of the stunts they pulled off. If you thought the previous film was nuts, then you are in for a treat. This film is utterly crammed with heavy hitting fight sequences, insane chases, crazy ideas visualised, and more explosions than you can count- were they all necessary? It doesn’t matter.
While the action is definitely a highlight, as it always is in a Fast & Furious film, it isn’t the highlight. That honor goes to Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes. We’ve become so accustomed to seeing Momoa as the hero, picturing him as a villain felt impossible. But he did it, and he was deliciously evil. Dante is camp, suave and calculative. He’s a pantomine villain on steroids and Momoa is in his element. Dante is a fun and cunning villain with an abundance of personality and flare, something that this franchise has been severely lacking. Every time Momoa enters the frame, he steals the show entirely.
Unfortunately, the presence of Dante highlights one of Fast X‘s major faults, and it’s not just a fault within this one film, but a fault that extends through each installment. Dante’s plan is to destroy Dom’s family. A reasonable plan. A simple plan. However, as this franchise proves time and time again… You can’t actually damage the main cast. You can certainly try, but they either return later down the line, or are absolutely caked in plot armor that allows them to survive the impossible. With that in mind, it then becomes difficult to feel any sense of dread, despite Fast X‘s effort to elicit that sort of response. There is danger, but what good is danger when our main characters are omnipotent?
This same logic can then be applied to the sentimental and loving theme that runs through Fast X. As Dom has mentioned many, many times… It’s all about family. With his family happy and healthy, Dom is struck by this sudden fear of losing it all. Again, an admirable and completely rational thought given Dom’s dangerous line of work. But the sentimentality that Fast X strives towards is watered down by the lack of a real threat. Fast X is so busy punishing characters outside of Dom’s circle, it negates the attempted tender moments. rendering them almost laughable, and dilutes Momoa’s gripping and enchanting presence.
Verdict
If you can look past the bad and clunky dialogue, as well as the convenience of the entire story, Fast X is still an immensely enjoyable experience. With non-stop action and insane stunts, Fast X will have you mesmerised and dumbfounded. With the Fast & Furious franchise nearing the finish line, this 10th installment actually does a grand job of setting up the next film with surprise cameos, an awesome post credit scene and a cliffhanger unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years. It may not be a perfect film, but it certainly is an entertaining one.
⭐⭐⭐
Directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk), Fast X stars returning cast members Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena and Scott Eastwood, with Oscar® winner Helen Mirren and Oscar® winner Charlize Theron.
The film also features an extraordinary new cast including Oscar® winner Brie Larson as Tess, a rogue representative from the Agency; Alan Richtson (Reacher) as Aimes, the new head of the Agency who doesn’t hold the same fondness for Dom’s crew as his predecessor, Mr. Nobody; Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) as a Brazilian street racer with a powerful tie to Dom’s past; and legendary Oscar® winner Rita Moreno as Dom and Mia’s Abuelita Toretto.
