Fast X races to the franchise finish line as an overblown popcorn cinema spectacle that audiences continually embrace. The first of the two-part finale brings all the players back in a convoluted game of retribution and revenge. Jason Momoa joins the jumbled fray as a quasi-androgenous, flamboyant psychopath spawned from the events of Fast Five. The film sticks to form as familiar characters engage in a violent CGI melee of bumper car explosions, gunplay, and savage brawls. There are laugh-out-loud moments as strained dialogue elicit the wrong reactions.
It’s a blast from the Fast & Furious past with a memorable Rio de Janeiro robbery. Drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) is about to appoint his sadistic son Dante (Momoa) as successor. The backslapping festivities are interrupted by their vault ripped from the building in a daring heist. Reyes and his hulking scion pursue with deadly consequences.
Ten years later, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has comfortably settled into family life. He and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) raise little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) as a gearhead in a high octane school. They’ve left the Agency operations to a trusted crew. Roman (Tyrese Gibson) gets command of his first mission in Rome. He’s still squabbling with Tej (Ludacris) while Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Han (Sung Kang) watch in exasperation.
Jason Momoa as Dante Reyes
The gang reunites with Mia (Jordana Brewster) and their abuelita (Rita Moreno) for a family dinner before business commences. Faith in each other will always bind them. A late night knock at the door brings a shocking visitor. Letty secures Brian and joins Dom with her silenced pistol. A severely wounded adversary brings a dire warning. “The Devil” is coming for them. Dante isn’t looking to kill Dom for his sins. He wants to destroy everything that Dom has built. Then suffer the pain of losing everyone he loves.
Fast X thankfully dials back the outer space and underwater follies of earlier installments. Burnt rubber hits the road for the majority of insane action scenes. French director Louis Letterier (The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk) replaced Justin Lin, who helmed the previous five films, over creative differences. There’s no discernible difference in the pedal to the metal approach. Letterier has action competence, and it’s evident in the more realistic conflicts. Let me be clear. Fast X overall still feels like a CGI video game. But the scenes with actual cars on pavement look good and pump adrenaline.
There are too many characters. The franchise inexplicably can never let anyone go. People who should be dead, like Han, return but aren’t zombies. Fast X then bounces back and forth around the globe with inane subplots. A busy script with cornball dialogue gives every actor a scene to strut their stuff. This honestly becomes tiring when they’re not beating each other to a pulp. The “we’re arguing, but we really love each other” shtick between Roman and Tej gets particularly tedious.
A Rev and Repeat Scenario
The story makes no sense and doesn’t try to. That’s sadly not an issue since the producers tossed logic out the window after Tokyo Drift. Momoa controls every outcome like a maniacal god. He spends half the film cackling and bloviating with remote controls on high overlooks. He’s neither funny nor threatening but admittedly chews up the screen with his crazy antics.
Reactions will vary depending on the degree of fandom. Fast X is cut from the same tried and true narrative cloth. This supposed last lap is the same rev and repeat scenario we’ve seen before. The tank has long run empty for me but the box office numbers prove otherwise. Stick around during the credits.
Fast X is a production of Universal Pictures, Original Film, One Race Films, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, and Perfect Storm Entertainment. It will have a theatrical release on May 19th from Universal Pictures.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
