'Fast X' Review: Come For The Stunts, Stay For Momoa
Dom Toretto and his eclectic crew are back for yet another installment in the beloved fast and furious franchise, delivering more of the high octane stunts and emotional stakes fans have come to know and expect.
The evolution of The Fast and the Furious franchise from street racing to big budget espionage films has been a wild ride to say the least. While the series’ shift over its now ten film run has been a welcome change, the quality has been inconsistent at best. Audiences are once again reunited with Vin Diesel’s Dom and his crew as they face yet another foe, this time the son of a former one out for revenge played by Jason Momoa. Not only is Dom targeted, but everyone he cares about as well. Simply put, Fast and the Furious stakes.
After the frustratingly cartoonish and overly serious F9, the series has thankfully found its footing again. At the helm is director Louis Leterrier, known for his work on The Incredible Hulk and Transporter films. Though he was ushered in as director at the 11th hour, his work here is impressive. The action sequences are extremely well staged and filmed, utilizing some wonderfully dizzying choreography to enhance the thrills and explosions. The series has left the laws of physics and realism firmly in its rearview mirror at this point, but the action remains entertaining and immersive, delivering the blockbuster goods fans have come to know and love while showcasing some fantastic practical stunt work. There’s a show-stopping sequence that takes place in Rome early on in the film that surely rivals the bank vault sequence from Fast Five, the series’ crowning jewel.
As we seemingly head toward the finish line, it’s refreshing to see the film lean more heavily on the characters and history of the series. Audiences will get to see Dom settling into the role of a father and husband, giving Diesel far better material to work with, which allows him to show more warmth than cold steel. The characters have always remained lovable and charismatic, the cast exponentially growing in talent as the franchise has trucked along, attaining talent such as Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, and Kurt Russell to name just a few. New additions this time around include the likes of Brie Larson and Alan Ritchson, both welcome additions that have gravitas and greasy charm to spare. However, this film absolutely belongs to Jason Momoa.
Momoa is simply dynamite as the villain of the film. He makes it clear early on that he is going to be the best adversary the series has had to offer by a landslide. He knows exactly what movie he’s in and he dials it up to eleven, oozing a playful charm and menace throughout that seems effortless. It’s clear Hollywood has been squandering his talent, especially when it comes to playing a captivating villain. He not only chews up the scenery, but inhales it, elevating the film whenever he’s on screen. His character raises the emotional stakes considerably and is a welcomed, wildly unpredictable presence this franchise sorely needed.
However, the main issue with the series is its lackluster stories and screenplays, this not being an exception. The story beats remain repetitive and underwhelming, cheesy jokes and cliche espionage lingo rattled off at a rapid fire pace. While the cast is always able to sell the material and keep the proceedings breezy, the lazy dialogue and storylines still stick out like a sore thumb, especially ten films in. The franchise also suffers from a lack of true stakes. Characters that seem clearly dead in previous installments have come back to life with underwhelming explanations and the main cast seems to have impenetrable plot armor at this point. If this is truly the beginning of the end, the stakes need to be capitalized on, not just teased and abandoned.
Fast X serves as a refreshing course correction for the long-running action series, giving fans the blockbuster and soap opera entertainment that has given the franchise such long legs at the box office. The series may still have some gas in the tank, but if it wants to finish strong, the stakes and heart need to take center stage. It’s fun to watch a Saturday morning cartoon, but this series can be and has been better than that. If there is indeed one last ride, let these lovable thieves be human beings, not superheroes.