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. They didn’t know that Reyes’ son, Dante (Jason Momoa), witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price.
I never got into the Fast & Furious films until I saw “Fast Five” in 2011. That was a great summer movie, filled with terrific non-stop action and thrills, but my favorite of the series so far has to be 2013’s “Fast & Furious 6,” director Justin Lin was firing on all cylinders, and the cast were in top form, accompanied by some of the craziest and most exciting set-pieces ever to grace the franchise.
While I have enjoyed pretty much every entry in the series, 2021’s “F9: The Fast Saga” pretty much dropped the ball because the action and car chases all seemed tired and repetitive, and in the film’s finale, it sends Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) into outer space in a reinforced rocket car. While I can suspend my disbelief for these movies, this particular scene was just too preposterously absurd and ruined what could have been another fun installment.
With series director Justin Lin having departed “Fast X” early on, French filmmaker Louis Leterrier stepped in to take over the reins. Known for “Transporter 2,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Clash of the Titans,” and “Now You See Me,” he imbues “Fast X” with his signature grittiness and humor. The movie retains the series’ trademark action set-pieces, car races, international locales, and the importance of family.
Some new faces are added to the ever-expanding all-star line-up, including Oscar® winner Brie Larson, Alan Richtson, Daniela Melchior, and legendary Oscar® winner Rita Moreno. Oscar® winners Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron return, albeit in more minor roles, although their parts will likely expand for the second part of “Fast X.” Yes, you read that right, “Fast X” leaves the film on a cliffhanger of an ending that will be continued with “Fast X: Part 2” in 2025.
In “Fast X,” Dante (Jason Momoa), the son of Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), who was the central antagonist in 2011’s “Fast Five” and was killed at the end of the movie, seeks out Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew as he begins to exact revenge on them, one by one. While Dom has faced countless villains throughout the series, Dante stands head and shoulders above them all as his revenge is personal. When he kidnaps Dom and Letty’s (Michelle Rodriguez) young son, Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), they will stop at nothing to get him back.
Each entry in the Fast & Furious Saga tries to eclipse its predecessors in terms of action and excitement and, for the most part, they succeed, but as I stated earlier, “F9: The Fast Saga” was so implausible and outlandish, it left a bad taste in audience’s mouths, resulting in one of the lowest-performing entries in the franchise. With “Fast X,” however, it returns to the fun and enthusiasm “Fast Five,” “Fast & Furious 6,” and “Furious 7” exhibited, upping the ante in terms of action and character development, and for popcorn entertainment, that’s saying something.
The one issue I have with most of the Fast & Furious films is their villains. Mostly, they are antagonists against Dom and his crew, but they become allies by the end of the film or the beginning of the next movie. Jason Statham was a great bad guy, as was Luke Evans, who played his brother, but they both ended up uniting with Dom. In “F9,” John Cena is the new bad guy, but by the end of that movie, and in “Fast X,” he has joined Dom and his family. Even Charlize Theron, at least in this entry, begins to grapple with which side she needs to be on.
One of the exceptions would be Hernan Reyes, “Fast Five” ’s main bad guy. Here, Jason Momoa takes over from his tyrannical father and, thankfully, keeps the hatred and malice flowing. Momoa plays Dante as blazingly flamboyant, switching from playful and limp-wristed, complete with multi-colored fingernails, to homicidal, in the flick of a wrist. There is no redeeming Dante for the things he does in “Fast X,” and I’m sure in the next installment, and he most certainly steals the show.
My personal favorite of the series will always be “Fast & Furious 6,” but “Fast X” is gaining traction, and I was left in awe at some of the eye-popping stunts and dazzling visual effects. If you are a fan of the series, I know you’ll have a blast but even for the casual cinemagoer, the film should make you smile from ear to ear at the sheer absurdity of it all. “Fast X: Part 2” is scheduled for release in 2025, but recently there was talk of it being split into three films, so we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out. In the meantime, sit down, buckle up, and switch your brain off; it’s the only way you’ll thoroughly enjoy “Fast X.” And believe me, that is a compliment!
In Theaters Friday, May 19th
I have always been on board with the many twists and turns taken by Toredo and his crew. So I have chosen to suspend my disbelief for a great deal of these films. Fast X, however, left me feeling quite empty .The action is definitely there. Front start to finish actually. But the story, for all of its crazy twists, can’t allow me to consume this and call it a great film. This is mindless bro blow ’em up fun with a heavy helping non-binary Joker with a dash of Jack Sparrow as the villain. It should be great. But… Read more »