Movie Breakdown: Fast X

Pre-Screening Stance:

I’m one of those people that unabashedly loves the Fast & Furious movies, but even I was feeling like it was time to let the whole thing go after the just all-around bad (and not in a good way) F9. Maybe Fast X puts things back on track. Or maybe it proves to be another laborious affair in a once enjoyable franchise. Let’s see!

Post-Screening Ramble:

Surprisingly, I loved Fast X. If I had been asked to put down money on whether or not it would be a return to form for the franchise, I probably would have bet against it. And yet, here we are, with me still beaming about the film days after having seen it. The story is pretty much what you’d expect – someone from the team’s past is back and they’re not happy. This time it’s Dante (Jason Mamoa), son of Hernan Reyes (the bad guy that met his demise in Fast Five), and his only goal is to destroy Dom (Vin Diesel) and his family.

Let’s start with Dante, who’s truly an all-time great villain. I don’t think I’ve seen Mamoa have this much fun in anything he’s done – his entire performance is fueled by a playful but entirely unhinged energy that’s just so wildly entertaining. Expect to laugh and to find your head buzzing about The Joker-ish character in between his appearances. As for the rest of the cast, they do what they normally do, Vin is Vin, Tyrese is Tyrese, etc., which is fine because of – again – Mamoa’s insane turn and the shit ton of action in this movie. Seriously, one day someone will count the amount of punches thrown and things exploded and compare it to the total words spoken and the number will likely come out about even. So, if you want a true summer blockbuster that’s just a fun, mindless time from start to finish, then Fast X is for you.

Fast X is a winner. It’s also the sort of film you should see on the biggest screen possible, so get out there for it when it hits theaters this Friday, May 19.

One Last Thought:

Watch some sort of recap before you go to Fast X. The franchise is now deep, deep into things with a lot of brothers, sons, daughters, and such of previous characters.

One More Last Thought:

I guess the nonsensical side of it is simply just a fit for the franchise, but with every new adventure, the absence of Brian (RIP Paul Walker) just gets weirder and more noticeable.