by Charles Kirkland Jr.
Dom, Letty, and the whole gang are back, starting their last ride in the first half of the franchise finale,
Fast X.
When Dom (Vin Diesel) finds out that the job Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) recruited Roman (Tyrese
Gibson), Tej (Chris Bridges), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Han (Sung Kang) is a trap, he and Letty
(Michelle Rodriguez) jump into action to rescue them. As he arrives, Dom discovers that the foe he
faces this time is far more maniacal and deadly threat to his family than anyone ever before. After all,
when you mess with someone’s family, the family has to pay.
Based on their story, Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin write the screenplay for Fast X, an action-adventure
movie which is loosely based on characters created by Gary Scott Thompson. The latest installment in
the Fast franchise stars Diesel, Rodriguez, Gibson, Bridges, Emmanuel, Kang, and Eastwood with Brie
Larsen, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Jason Momoa, and Rita Moreno. Louis
Leterrier joins the franchise as its newest director.
Leterrier’s influence seems to be almost immediately apparent. Except for one scene, this installment in
the franchise is much more grounded than any of the recent movies. Not to say that the movie is devoid
of absolutely ridiculous and absurd gravity and logic-defying car maneuvers (because it is choked full of
them). It is to say that most of these stunts happen with all the wheels of the cars on the ground.
Much like Avengers: Infinity War, it is amazing the number of stars that appear in this movie. There are even a
couple of surprising returns to the franchise as well. There are a few notable absences from the cast,
but the way Diesel makes this franchise about family, those absences will probably be resolved in the
upcoming movie or movies.
Originally, Fast X was scheduled to be the first half of a two-part conclusion to the Fast and Furious saga
in the same way Infinity War and the upcoming Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning is. Now that
the story has been developed, Vin Diesel has been hinting that there could be a third part of the finale
to come. From the looks of the movie, it is quite possible that this is true. There is an end-credit scene
that seems to purport a second revenge storyline brewing that could be a movie of its own.
Nonetheless, with movies like Hobbs and Shaw and a rumored all-female story in the works, it is
doubtful that there is a true end to the franchise in sight.
It has been said that a hero can only be as good as the villain allows. Jason Momoa ratchets up the crazy
as the antagonist, Dante Reyes, the son of murdered drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquin de Almeida)
from Fast Five. Momoa plays the most memorable and maniacal bad guy since the work of Heath
Ledger in The Dark Knight. In each and every scene he appears, Momoa stands out in innumerable
ways. He is electric and menacing, deadly and delightful, funny and frightful. This bad guy is even better
than the one Billie Eilish imagined. Absolutely incredible, it’s impossible not to root for him!
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language, and some suggestive material, Fast
X is another foray into the wild and wonderful world of furious. This is the kind of movie that defines
summer blockbusters. School’s out, so stop thinking. Sit back with your popcorn and just enjoy the ride.
Just try to keep your mouth closed while observing the insanity or else you may swallow a bug!
Grade: B+