Fast X review: It’s time for Dominic Toretto to take a pit stop
Against all odds, Vin Diesel has buckled up for yet another Fast and Furious movie in the form of Fast X.
The tenth instalment in the series is the first film in an upcoming trilogyLink which will ultimately bring the high-octane film franchise to an end. But the cracks are already beginning to show.
Fast X opens with a lengthy recap of the events of Fast Five, the picture in which Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) steal a bank vault and drive it through Rio.
In this recap, viewers are introduced to Dante Reyes, the scorned son of an organised criminal who has seemingly endless money and resources and wants nothing but revenge on Toretto and his family for killing his father.
Fast forward to the present day, and fans witness a truly inexplicable movie that defies logic and sense… but the cars are pretty cool.
That’s something no one will ever be able to take away from the Fast and Furious series: they know how to make cars and stunts attractive.
From every race, flip, explosion, and flying car, Fast X is a masterclass in entertainment. I would defy anyone to watch these incredible moments and not have a great time with just how bombastic and ridiculous they get.
If Toretto knocking two helicopters into one another with a car isn’t enough, how is driving off a dam at break-neck speeds while outrunning an explosion with an unlimited supply of NOS (magic fast car juice)?
It’s completely and utterly thrilling – there’s no other way to describe it. It’s like a roller coaster ride you’re witnessing in real-time. A true triumph!
It becomes even more woe-inducing, then, when the stunts are replaced with extremely obvious CGI segments that plainly do not look good. Fans will be able to pick out the computer-generated cars from a quarter-mile away.
However exciting Fast X’s stunts and elongated action sequences are, the script is dreadful in equal parts.
Diesel growls through his lines and remains insufferably stoic through even the most furious moments. Letty (Michelle Rodriquez) is given perhaps the most groan-worthy moments of the picture, and the incessant tit-for-tat banter between Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) feels completely amateur.
There are glimmers of greatness in Fast X, though.
Jason Momoa’s portrayal of the psychotic and endlessly charming Dante is one for the ages. The Aquaman star blends Dracula with Patrick Bateman to create a laugh-out-loud villain that you might actually be scared of.
Likewise, Brie Larson’s character, Tess, introduces a much-needed injection of excitement and creativity into the script; similar to how Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) was treated before she became a blank slate like every other character in the series. Unfortunately, Larson is criminally underused throughout the picture.
Fast X is the biggest and baddest Fast and Furious movie yet. Its stunts and action moments are industry-leading – exciting, stake-filled, and totally enthralling. But it’s brought down by a godawful script and nonsensical plot. Characters come and go without meaning or intention and viewers are simply expected to roll with it until the next car chase begins. It’s kind of insulting. With that said, Fast and Furious lovers are going to lap this up if they enjoyed the last couple of entries. After this trilogy comes to a close, I hope the Fast and Furious takes a much-needed pit stop before anything else is attempted.
Fast X hits cinemas Friday, May 19, 2023.
