Weekend Watch: Fast X
Dom and co. face a flamboyant new threat
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, the Fast gang returns for a much more entertaining entry. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite
Though I initially welcomed F9 back with open arms as one of the big, silly blockbusters drawing crowds back to cinemas following the closures of the pandemic, in re-visiting it, I’ve somewhat revised my opinion down, concerned that it has all the hallmarks of a franchise entry that shows signs of running out of gas.
Yes, it still has the big, silly stunts (and climaxes with characters riding a car into orbit!), but it nevertheless leaned heavily on the more problematic elements of this film series, taking itself (much as leading man Vin Diesel does) way too seriously and wasting John Cena’s charm in a thankless, vengeful villain role.
I’m happy to report, then, that Fast X, which kicks off a two-part (possibly three-part if recent Vin-blabs are to be believed) finale for the film series, embraces much more that works about the film.
Sure, Diesel is still growling his dialogue, going on endlessly about the power of family and finding more connections between characters than an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? but the new entry has truly found the fun again. And a big part of that is thanks to Jason Momoa.
He plays the new movie’s Big Villain™, Dante, introduced to the regular crew by way of the last one (Charlize Theron’s Cipher), who shows up at Dominic Toretto’s (Diesel) door one night, critically injured and warning them that “the devil is coming for them”.
As it turns out, Dante is the son of Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), the drug kingpin that Dom and his team robbed and killed 10 years ago in Rio (as chronicled in the events of Fast Five in 2011).
Dante’s out for revenge, and he’s boasting a flamboyant, quippy style, plenty of resources and the mantra “Never accept death when suffering is owed,” which serves as a handy get-out clause for all those times you wonder why the bad guy doesn’t just kill our heroes when he has the chance. No, Dante wants to toy with Dom and the usual Fast team, setting them up to be framed criminals on the run, their money siphoned away, and their forces divided.
Naturally, our heroes are forced to scatter and rely on the resources they can find – mostly driving cars very quickly or calling on the likes of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham in a tiny appearance that hints at more to come). And yes, even Cena, who in true Fast fashion was redeemed at the end of F9, gets to enjoy himself.
But while there are certainly signs that the tire treads are getting lower with every installment, Momoa is a delight, a peacock of a baddie with outrageous dress sense and a cheery way about him that shows just how much the rest of the cast is effectively phoning it in at this point.
Still, with Momoa providing a real breath of fresh air, there’s enough fun to be found here to make Fast X enough of a thrill ride that it’s worth watching, even if you feel like checking out of the franchise.
Fast X is in UK and US cinemas now.