The 10th film in the Fast franchise hits theatres this Friday and boy do we have some thoughts on it. Die-hard fans know what to expect going in, but if you are questioning whether or not you should see the film, check out our spoiler-free review below to see our thoughts on it.
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
When The Fast and the Furious debuted over 20 years ago, this one-off movie about a street racer and a cop didn’t feel like a spy thriller or a mission-impossible type of film that would spawn a 10+ movie franchise. Yet here we are, and things just keep being made. The first few films had emotional elements and new gotchas that hit you in the feels and you actually felt a connection to the characters. But by the time we get to the 5th film, on which Fast X is basing its premise on (more on that later), things just go from absurd to obscene.
The films used to center around family and car races. But now cars are no longer even remotely a focus. The most the cars play a role in the story is that there are cars in the film. And family? Well as Brie Larson so perfectly put it, “So all it takes is some BBQ and a bear?”. Yep, that’s all it takes to join the ever-insanely-growing family that is the Fast franchise. There comes a point where the number of brothers, sisters, mothers, and cousins has to stop coming out of the woodwork. But in a film franchise where the stakes never seem to matter, nothing matters anymore.
So let’s move past the plot for a second cause lets all agree we don’t come to the Fast movies for the plot anymore. The film’s action sequences are so outlandish, and un-grounded, that the entire theatre was laughing at the film, not with it. There are ways to pass off seemingly impossible feats as grounded in reality. Mission Impossible and John Wick both managed to do this. Then there is throwing everything out the window and defying the basics of gravity and reality, and that is Fast X. What’s worse is the future tech that it’s trying to pass off comes off as corny and campy in a bad way. For a film trying to set itself in the current time, it fails miserably at trying to pass off gadgets as fitting within the time it’s trying to represent.
So now that I have spent the majority of this ripping on the film, was there anything worthwhile? Yes. Jason Momoa. He carried the entire movie on his sociopathic villainous shoulders. As Dante, he was a perfect mix of eccentric, menacing, and ruthless. I really want to hear some interviews with him about how he prepared for this role. Of all the villains they have faced so far he is by far the worst (and by that I mean the best).
The film ends right in the middle of all of the wreckage. If you didn’t know Fast X is one of several films to wrap up the franchise. So like The Hobbit, you will have to wait for the next film to get any answers. If the producers know what’s good for them, they will not just have everyone make it. Be sure to stay for the post-credit scene. There will be two cameos late in the film, one of which is in the post-credit scene.
Fast X is in theatres Friday, May 19th.
