Product Info

Studio

Universal Pictures

Director

Louis Leterrier

Genre

Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Rated

PG-13

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

May 19, 2023

Film Length

2hr 21min

Purchase From

Fast X is a very entertaining addition to the Fast and the Furious saga. It delivers on the now-expected envelope-pushing car stunts and gunplay. The action is virtually nonstop from beginning to end. Though the cast is quite large, most are familiar characters with just a couple of new additions. This movie does a great job introducing new characters amidst the action, so the audience is always clear about who they are.

Let the Ride Begin

The movie starts with Dom Toretto, played by Vin Diesel (Guardians of the Galaxy, xXx), giving his now tween son a driving lesson as only Dom could do. This segways into a family dinner where we see the whole gang once again, and of course they are plotting their next adventure. In this case, they plan to go to Rome to see if they can acquire some cutting edge tech that dependable intel has led them to.

This is where bad guy Dante, played surprisingly well by Jason Momoa (Aquaman, Dune), starts his assault on Dom and his family. Planning for the last ten years, Dante will stop at nothing to achieve his goal of destroying Dom. He proves this by blowing up half of Rome and framing Dom and the gang as the culprits. Yes, the tech intel was bogus and planted by Dante to lure them there from the start. From here, the action takes the characters all over the globe, from London to Antarctica and a few places in-between. Dom’s friends from The Agency show up to help out as well. Tess, played by Brie Larson, lends a hand to Dom when she can, as does Aimes, played by Alan Ritchson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire).

There are so many plotlines going on involving roughly six characters that you might not be able to keep up with them all. Additionally, all the fast-paced action the film continuously throws your way keeps you from noticing how many stories are going on simultaneously. It makes things difficult to follow with characters spread across the globe. For example, one minute a character is zipping from a chase scene in London and the next we’re in a holding cell in Antarctica without any explanation or forewarning. Admittedly, “fast” is in the title, but this is too much.

Scene Stealing

The many locations in this film really allow the cinematography to shine. With all the intense vehicle action (some of those crashes, man) and explosive sounds assaulting the senses (seriously, audio mixers, turn it down some), one would think that the scenic parts of the film would go unnoticed. In actuality, quite the opposite is true. The cinematography provides enough visually that it seems to balance the film out very effectively.

Jason Momoa’s portrayal of Dante is done very well indeed. Played with an effeminate masculinity that will certainly be a surprise to the viewer, he expands that with a delivery of humor that is both fun and entertaining. His demeanor and delivery of lines is just spot on and keeps the viewer interested in the character throughout the entire film. He’s easily one of the best bad guys of 2023.

A Fast Summary

Fast X certainly delivers on all aspects one would expect from the Fast and the Furious franchise, making this the best effort yet. Keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat from beginning to end as this one does is hard to do for a film, but they pull it off with minimal issues. Plus, Fast X ends with plenty of room for more movies. In short, this franchise isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

An early screening provided for this review. Fast X hits theaters on May 19, 2023. Fans can visit the movie’s official website for additional information.