Universal Pictures
Every two years, you legally have to be reminded that the Fast and Furious franchise started with a movie about stealing bootleg DVD players. Yes, the franchise that has gone on to feature Aquaman and Wonder Woman and Snake Plisskin and action heroes known only by single names, like Rock or Statham or, of course, Diesel. They’ve gone to outer space and the depths of the ocean and all around the globe. They’ve been fugitives and secret agents and fugitives again and secret agents again. But it used to just be about driving really fast.
Now, in Fast X, a movie I’m not convinced actually features real cars on real roads at any point in time, the franchise has doubled down on being insane. On being self-referential. And on rewriting their own history.
The plots of these films don’t necessarily matter, as every villain eventually becomes a hero (and joins The Family at the barbecue) and every character is (borderline religiously) resurrected, while we ‘learn’ that new characters were actually standing in the background of other movies the whole time. This one in brief, however, is that Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) has made many enemies over the years, the latest being Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa). Dom killed his father 10 years ago during the events of Fast Five and he wants his blood revenge. He’s the most lethal opponent of the series thus far and his attempts to kill Dom’s Family and take over the world are their most serious threat ever. In fact, it’ll take at least two movies to take him down … if they can.
There’s a lot to be said about Jason Momoa, the latest addition to the franchise, who is clearly having a blast playing his ridiculously over-the-top villain. It would be disingenuous, however, to say that he chews up the scenery, as there is no scenery to chew. (Side question: how do we alter that phrase for the digital landscape blockbuster? Do we say that he’s chewing the green screen?)
Universal Pictures
Other than Momoa’s ostentatious energy, the film is lacking a distinct flavor to set it apart from not only its predecessors but the action film at large. There’s no authorial quality in Louis Leterrier’s direction, something the franchise at least had going for it when Justin Lin, James Wan, and John Singleton had the keys. He was a late addition thanks to Lin’s ‘creative differences’ exit and that’s felt throughout. It feels like a flat version of a Justin Lin entry. Action setpieces are tired, recycled, and way too long: there’s a notable ‘Some days, you just can’t get rid of a bomb!’ sequence that must last upwards of thirty minutes.
That’s not to say that fans of the franchise (which I would probably consider myself to be one, considering I’ve spent almost two full days of my life watching and rewatching these movies), won’t get more of what they love – they will. The beloved Family returns and does what they do best: Michelle Rodriguez kicks ass, Tyrese Gibson cracks jokes, Ludacris mumbles numbers, John Cena plays John Cena. New additions to the cast round out the ever-growing ensemble, from Brie Larson to Daniela Melchior – they even get Rita Moreno to pull a Helen Mirren and appear in one scene.
For those reasons, it’s practically impossible to criticize these movies as they are movies that operate outside the realm of criticism. It’s a $6 billion franchise where acting gives way to personalities, drama gives way to melodrama, comedy gives way to cameos, and action gives way to … nothing: it’s always the most important thing. Besides Family.
There are supposedly two movies following this one, but one imagines that the franchise could live on forever, á la James Bond, if they just keep the iconography consistent. The Family is looking particularly old here (and not quite as muscular as before) and the franchise’s perpetuity could rely on some fresh (younger) faces. Every movie seems to add a few stars while also dropping a few, but as long as each movie adds to that roster of characters, it can keep some form of momentum. Especially since, after ten movies, they’re repeating locations (Brazil, Antarctica) and even harkening back to old installments more than they ever did, (there’s a sequence that’s basically a SportsCenter highlight reel of the franchise. Alan Ritchson’s character even says, ‘If it could be done in a car, they did it. If it violated the laws of God and gravity, they did it twice.’)
As long as they can do something new every time, while keeping the familiar feels, audiences will return. For two movies at least, if not more.
Fast X has a run time of 2 hours 21 minutes, and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some suggestive material.
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