More than two decades since The Fast and the Furious first introduced the world to Dominic Toretto, the Fast fam keeps going at it, and while Fast X does not dial back on the sheer scale of recent entries, this movie is probably the best sequel fans of franchise have gotten since the emotional Furious 7.
How it accomplishes that is really no surprise, as Fast X features exactly the same kind of over-the-top action and absolutely unbelievable stunts that make these films worth watching in the first place, yet the addition of Jason Momoa as a new ingredient is what sets it apart from the likes of F9. Momoa’s Dante Reyes is brilliant, and while his staying power alone secures him a top tier placement among Fast and Furious villains, it’s his screen presence that keeps the film fun.
After all, that’s what it’s all about, right? Fast and Furious movies are supposed to be, above anything else, thoroughly entertaining to give viewers a good reason to look past their faults, and luckily there’s plenty of that in Fast X. The premise is very simple, Dante Reyes wants revenge, and his specific plan for achieving that will ensure the entire family is once again reunited, with some key interventions from cast members that would otherwise have no business coming back for the tenth movie.
The family theme is very much here, if anything, Fast X goes even harder on the memes to make sure the word family is said as many times as possible, and that very concept is exactly what Dante wants to destroy and why he’s such a menacing villain. Seeing Dom and Letty act as parents to little Brian is heartwarming at times, and child actor Leo Abelo Perry delivers exactly what he’s supposed to -even in the action department- in this car-fueled frenzy.
Overall, the entire cast delivers the type of performances Fast and Furious fans are used, so it’s better to comment on the newcomers, Brie Larson and Momoa, whose roles could not be more different. While dialogue has never been a strong point in these movies, Larson’s Tess gets served some of the worst ever as practically every line she utters fails to give her character any personality — suffice to say, Fast X’s script is as corny as usual, yet in Tess’ case she lacks the backstory everyone else has to some extent that helps make up for it.
On the opposite end, even if Momoa’s Dante is given more cheesy one-liners than most 90s action movie villains, the decision to channel Toretto’s new foe as irremediably psychopathic makes it all come together perfectly. Some critics have compared Dante to a Fast and Furious version of the Joker and, admittedly, it’s hard to argue against that since Dante really just wants to see the world burn, specifically Dom’s world.
Speaking of which, the laws of physics that govern the Fast and Furious world remain untouched, however, rather than going all out in a single flying car in space, infinite runway, or nuclear submarine scene, Toretto’s death-defying stunts are spread out more evenly. Sure, the Fast fam is still overpowered enough to give Marvel and DC’s heroes a run for their money, but it’s much easier to accept Rocket League levels of driving than cars in outer space.
Moving back to Dante, it’s his inclusion that makes the pacing of Fast X a much better movie than The Fate of the Furious, as his antics and schemes are bold enough to make audiences wonder just what he will do next all the time. Nevertheless, it’s worth saying that John Cena’s Jakob Toretto gets a nice character upgrade in Fast X, with his role here playing more into his natural talents as an actor, with this being a case of the script really helping elevate a part.
With Vin Diesel recently stating that Fast X will now become a trilogy, it’s no surprise to see that there are plenty of loose ends to be found once the credits start rolling, although that's also what ensures fans get a few noticeable cameos. In that sense, it says a lot that Fast X’s most glaring letdown is perhaps the fact that it’s a film burdened with a lot of setup work in its final act ahead of the saga reaching its long-awaited ending.
Fast X is best enjoyed in a packed movie theater, where die-hard fans of this franchise will get even non-enjoyers going as they gasp and yell in awe of how far Dominic Toretto has come. F9 helped revive movie theaters when they need it the most, and judging from recent box office hits like Super Mario Bros., very little for what is the best Fast and Furious movie in years.
Fast X
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