High-Octane
Summary
I had low expectations for Fast X but I find myself pleasantly surprised with its rapid-fire pacing, spectacular action sequences and a scenery chewing villainous turn from Jason Momoa. It feels like there are genuine stakes for once but it is let down by the script at times and some noticeable CG for the more ridiculous set-pieces.
Plot: Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they must confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced. Fueled by revenge, a terrifying threat emerges from the shadows of the past to shatter Dom’s world and destroy everything — and everyone — he loves.
Review: It’s hard to believe this franchise is STILL going on and personally I think it should have ended after Paul Walker’s passing but there’s money to be made so here we are. I’ve always found The Fast & Furious franchise hit and miss and personally think Fast Five is the best entry; I went into Fast X with the lowest of expectations but I was pleasantly surprised and it may well be one of the better entries in the franchise. It’s every bit as ludicrous as you’d expect and every character would be dead a hundred times over in reality but we all know what to expect with these movies by now.
Fast X actually feels like it has stakes and maybe not everyone will make it out alive this time; there are some superlative action scenes with the sequence in Rome the clear highlight. There are also plenty of fight scenes and the pacing is relentless. It is let down by an overuse of CG especially the scene with the dam which lost me but these movies just have one goal and that is to entertain which is exactly what Fast X does. There are a few surprises (and a mid-credits scene) which now has me looking forward to the next and hopefully final entry in the franchise. There are rumblings that this might be a trilogy which I think would be a huge mistake and would just draw it out even more than it needs to.
The script isn’t the greatest and I still can’t be bothered with Roman (Tyrese) as a character; I’ve never found him funny and just think the character is irritating with his scenes taking away from some of the drama.
What elevates Fast X above the past few Fast movies is Jason Momoa as the villain; he is arguably the most entertaining and memorable antagonist of the franchise as the flamboyant and utterly deranged Dante (enchanté), out for revenge against Dom. Momoa knows he is starring in absolute nonsense so he just looks like he is having a ball and it is infectious. It’s also great to see Statham return and I love how everyone is still intimated by his character but I do wish they’d kept him as a bad guy as he was awesome and genuinely threatening. Charlize Theron is fantastic as always although I can see her joining the “family” by the end.
In terms of newcomers we have Alan Ritchson (Reacher) as Aimes and Brie Larson as Tess; they both get their moments to shine and I still think Ritchson should be cast as a live-action He-Man.
Vin Diesel mumbles his way through the film and says “family” every few minutes as always but I did empathize with him as he really goes through the ringer this time and I can’t wait to see the final showdown between him and Momoa.
Brian Tyler’s score is bombastic and exciting and we get plenty of party tunes to go along with the racing scenes which made a welcome return.
Overall, Fast X was far more entertaining than I was expecting and is one of the better entries of the franchise mostly due to Jason Momoa’s scene stealing villain and some truly spectacular action sequences. As I always say, if you hate these movies then this won’t make you a believer but if you’re looking for a big, loud, dumb action film to escape the toil of daily life then Fast10 your seatbelts (I’m not sorry for saying that).