Fast X Movie Review

The first rule to going fast is cutting the flab, a rule as basic as it gets. The Fast and Furious enterprise, now into its 10th appearance as just Fast X, has just kept adding muscle. The list of beefy actors who have thrown some punches around and are good enough for some more has been growing and now has a supervillain in the shape and size of Jason Momoa.

And, if Dominic (Diesel) and company – or Family, as he calls them, at least once every few minutes – stand in for traditional masculine heroes who love their cars accessorised up and their girls accessoried down, in equal measure, Momoa’s villain is a sociopath who is gender fluid. He wears pigtails, nail polish, pink robes, and golden loafers, but in all other matters, he loves blowing things up as well as the other person.

Fast X Movie Review: Synopsis

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), are happy to have renounced their dangerous street racing-heist lifestyle for the peace and safety of their family, until a psychotic revenge seeker, Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) comes knocking.

Fast X Movie Review: Story

Roaring fast cars, underworld, cops, and family… The Fast and the Furious franchise for over two decades with minor modifications has pretty much offered us the same content, over-the-top fast car action, with little to no, emotional heft. Paul Walker’s untimely death in 2013, was perhaps the most you felt for the franchise. Over the years, the core team has stayed the same even as newer faces joined the race. Beyond Diesel and his crew, Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Gal Gadot, Scott Eastwood, Jason Statham, and now Jason Momoa, the series has resorted to using actors as minor script updates.

Despite a rather chaotic, silly, and overcrowded plot, Jason Momoa has the most fun with his character. He gives his comical-psychotic villain the insanity and anger of a disgruntled employee on a notice period. He just wants to watch the world burn. His jibes and nicknames for characters (John Cena is his uncle’s muscle) entertain and amuse the most. While he is vindictive and ruthless, he doesn’t seem as menacing as his Joker-esque alter ego would imagine.

The plot has little relevance but if you must know, it all begins when Toretto’s wisecracking friends are sent on a fake mission to Rome. The team is framed for a massive bomb explosion that turns the agency against them. This moment has the film's most ambitious chase sequence. Drug kingpin Dante is the mastermind and is hellbent on making Toretto suffer by depriving him of his family.

Fast X Movie Review: Script Analysis

Dan Mazeau, Justin Lin & Zach Dean’s story tries to pack in a lot by briefly touching everything and packaging nothing to drag the ‘non-action’ sequences. The film holds your attention only when the lavish ‘saving Seven Hills of Rome from an on-fire mega-sized iron ball’ kind of action set pieces take place & fortunately, there are multiple of them.

But, unfortunately, actors performing high-octane stunt scenes are lesser than actors following the ‘la Familia’ formula of the story. The fans who’ll cheer over Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer poster on a ‘Videography During the Film Is a Crime’ warning creative, the enthu. There was a cheer at every juncture writer must’ve already predicted while writing the story. Another obvious thing that was on-the-face predictable was the film’s twists & turns.

While getting into any fight sequence, you know who’s going to win even before the landing of the first punch. That impacts the already draggy screenplay by Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin. Stephen F. Windon’s camerawork brings in some new touches, like the style of shifting the camera in a long shot.

Fast X Movie Review: Star Performance

In a couple of days, Vin Diesel announced, there will be one more film before it all ends, clearly displaying how badly the film studio has been trying to optimally milk the current position of the franchise.

Michelle Rodriguez starts with being an important part of the story but very quickly fades into oblivion, welcoming the other clutter throughout the film. Jason Statham, Brie Larson, John Cena, Charlize Theron, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Alan Ritchson & Rita Moreno look like they’re completing a formality by participating in the family reunion drama.

Fast X Movie Review: Direction, Music

Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Now You See Me) was brought in at the last moment when Justin Lin left over a significant script disagreement with Vin Diesel. Post watching the film, I feel Lin must’ve been right with his version. Yep, Fast 9 was a sh*thole paradise, but this one had potential.

Brian Tyler has the pulse of an ‘F&F fan’, and that’s why he delivers it every single time, including this one.

Fast X Movie Review: Conclusion

All said and done, contrary to its title, this franchise is on its way to getting a ‘Slow & Tedious’ conclusion, thanks to taking the family BS too seriously, adding unnecessary clutter which ain’t a ‘1 Man/John Wick’ show for #VinDiesel to achieve, who has outstayed his FAMILY’s welcome.

You will hear the words ‘family’ and ‘agency’ after every two lines in the 10th installment. Are “the days where a man behind the wheel of a car could make a difference are (truly) over?” Turns out they aren’t over as we have another sequel waiting. Director Louis Leterrier offers an orgy of explosions and car chases demanding minimal emotional investment. If you don’t mind a cycle of preposterous action sequences loaded with VFX not allowing a moment of calm, Fast X delivers exactly what it promises. Pete Davidson has a fun cameo. You won't blink even for a second. The film offers mindless popcorn entertainment in every scene in abundance.

However, there is not a single novelty factor, and watching one film in the series is as good as watching them all. Not that some other successful franchises haven’t taken the same route, but the F&F series is nearing its end and you want them to take that VRS. 'How did they let this go on for so long,' indeed?