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Fast X Movie Review: How long can a franchise keep going on for before it runs out of gas? This is something that the Fast and Furious franchise cannot grasp. It's been three films since the release of Furious 7, and each one has been more lackluster than the last, and Fast X very much feels like the makers are scraping the bottom of the barrel to produce something even slightly interesting. It was actually perplexing how disjointed this mess was, because whatever happened to having a coherent plot anymore? Fast X Final Trailer: Jason Momoa, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham’s Film Is a Non Stop Thrill Ride That You’re Not Going to Want to Miss (Watch Video).
Fast X, which is directed by Louis Leterrier, picks up right at the ending of Fast Five. We get to see everything here from Hernan Reyes’ (Joaquin de Almeida) point of view and the movie quickly does a classic F&F retcon and establishes his son Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) as a character. We are then showcased the huge climactic chase of Fast Five where Hernan dies and Dante gets injured, and now ten years later the son is back to exact his revenge on everyone who has helped Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) so far.
The major problem with Fast X's plot is that - well - there is none. For a film billed as the "Beginning of the End of the Road," Fast X stalls like a 2001 Honda Civic on its final legs. I'm not sure what was going through the filmmakers' heads here because this isn't it. It's all bloat and poor storytelling that feels like a one-hour episode of television stretched into two with the self-seriousness amped up to an 11. It is like the textbook definition of what happens when you put story in the backseat and let mindless action take the steering wheel.
If you're just looking for action, the Fast X is well worth the price of entry because they have enough of it here. From having a chase in Rome involving a mini-nuke to Dominic Toretto’s Charger taking down two helicopters on a busy highway – it packs in all that physics-defying action this franchise is known for (albeit sometimes it did induce a headache). But then again, what’s the point of action if the movie itself is going to lack any story and depth to it?
Watch the Trailer for Fast X:
Even the tiniest degree of captivation you will feel here is based on how entertaining you will find Momoa's Dante. In my case, I thoroughly enjoyed him because he is the only one who seemed to serve any purpose here. Dante is the definition of “what would happen if the Fast and Furious franchise had its own Joker?” And Momoa hams it up here in the best way possible making him standout from the rest of the cast. He is charismatic, he is cool, he is ruthless and that makes him all the more entertaining.
For the rest of the cast members though, nothing cool was done. There is no semblance of a character arc since no one is forced to make difficult decisions. Every character is exactly the same as they were at the beginning of the film. Diesel remains the same one-note meathead who will occasionally express emotion, and the rest of the returning ensemble, I suppose, does alright. But Fast X's worst mistake is just breaking everyone up at the start for plot purposes, because it loses the one thing that could have made it even better - family. Honestly, you should have done a drinking game with how many times each character says 'family' in this movie because I'm sure you'd have walked out of it extremely hammered.
Even the new characters don't appear to have a significant impact on the plot. Brie Larson's Tess, the daughter of Kurt Russell's Mr Nobody, and Daniela Melchior's Isabel appear briefly and then disappear from the film. Hell, Jason Statham's inclusion was also utterly random, as he appears for one action sequence and then just dips out of the film. Fast X is full of perplexing choices like this, and it made me question what the real plan was here.
It all comes down to this highly unsatisfying climax in which Fast X unleashes its franchise’s most valued weapon - fakeout deaths. At this point, just assume that no one dies in these films because these ruses are becoming old. It simply does not make sense. What is the ultimate goal? Is there anything at stake? These are the questions I posed to myself because I'm confident even the filmmakers don't know the answers. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what a $340 million budget gets us, and we still have two more of these films to go. Vin Diesel Reveals Fast X Two-Part Finale Is Now a Trilogy! (Watch Video).
Also, Fast X's ending isn't precisely an ending. It's a frustrating cliffhanger that doesn't provide any finality. Take, for example, Avengers: Infinity War. When the ending comes, you sense some form of closure even if it is a major cliffhanger, but Fast X just makes it look like a random point to stop on. I'm quite sure this is where Fast and Furious 11 will pick up from, but my god, I couldn’t be bothered by the end of it.
Yay!
Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes
The Action
Nay!
Thin Storytelling
Frustrating Ending
Fakeout Deaths
Final Thoughts
Fast X is a completely bonkers, chaotic film that let goes any and all sense of coherence. It’s a collection of scenes that doesn’t make sense and presents us with an ending that is more frustrating than satisfying. Instead of themes of family, the biggest takeaway here will be a headache. Fast X is playing in theatres right now.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 18, 2023 11:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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