We live in an age where there are cinematic universes everywhere, from Marvel to the MonsterVerse and even to The Conjuring, there are universes for nearly every franchise. Yet, when it comes to the Fast & Furious franchise, there has only been one spin-off with the rest of the films being sequels which is refreshing by today’s standards but also begs the question - how long can this series go on for? It looks like the time has finally come, the series is heading towards the end. Although in The Lord of the Rings fashion, the ending sounds like it has been dragged out like an old car with Fast X being the first in a supposed three-part finale for the series. So, is the series going out with a bang? Yes!
Due to this being the beginning of the end the filmmakers and producers have decided to make this film feel almost like an Avengers film, with almost everyone from every previous film coming back in some way shape or form. I won’t spoil if there are any surprises or not, but this is a series that has famously killed off characters only for them to come back again later on. So the stakes don’t feel high considering this pattern, but it doesn’t detract from the fun and the entertainment it provides. The cast feels at home in their roles now, with the series happily acknowledging its ridiculousness and over-the-topness, which does help keep the tone of the film the same from start to finish. It also helps that we have a decent villain this time with Jason Momoa playing Dante Reyes.
Fast X is one of the rare sequels in this franchise where the consequences of this film are a result of a previous film. Fast & Furious 5 is replayed at the start of the film, but only a small section to give context of the new baddie Dante. This is helpful and also great for actually continuing a previous plot point instead of making up a new threat for the sake of the film. It makes the film have an “actions has consequences” theme which hits home hard in some scenes where Dante goes after Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto’s son. Dante is very camp and theatrical and wears flashy jewellery and colourful clothing. He has some of the best lines in the script and he helps elevate the film as one of the best baddies the series has seen yet. There are so many sub-plot in the film such as a section in London and another in an undisclosed black site which doesn’t get fully resolved. You can tell there is a vision for where this story is going but it is sticking to the promise that there will be more as there is a cliffhanger for the first time the franchise.
There is so much going on in this film. There’s a chase around Rome where Dom and his crew go after a bomb that has gotten loose and another scene on a bridge where Dom takes down two helicopters. It has the necessary spectacle and scope for an action thriller, and there is also plenty of comedy and lightheartedness as well to balance it all. It has elements of James Bond and features of Avengers and it merges them together. The abundance of characters across the franchise as well as the globe-trotting nature of the film all blend and bring everything together for a thrilling blockbuster. It still lacks logic and physics, but fans of the franchise threw logic and physics out the window by the seventh film and have now come to accept it. So if you’re new to the series then it may appear silly, but this is a series that has happily accepted what it is - pure action and car-defying entertainment.
★★★☆☆
3/5
Final Verdict:
Fast X revs up the action and pulls all the characters together again for one last hurrah before everyone goes driving into the sunset. This is merely part one in the “finale” part of the series, so don’t go expecting everything to be resolved by the time the credits are rolling, but I can promise that Fast X still offers a lot of fun. There are some great moments in the film and some moments that are there just for the sake of the fans - such as Jason Statham’s small role. All in all, if you’re looking for some dazzling and over-the-top action sequences mixed in with some extravagant car chases then this film definitely delivers!
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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