The Fast franchise has persisted for over two decades through the incredible ensemble cast that embodies the term “family” on-screen and the wild action antics they’ve gotten into with every film. Now, the franchise sets up one last trilogy to close things out and while Fast X still provides some of the previous films’ fun, it does show that the franchise is running on fumes.
Where F9 felt like a noticeable step up for the franchise in terms of the creative elements of the story and action, Fast X leaves much to be desired. Given some of the big action set pieces seen in previous films and the wild moments the franchise has had, Fast X feels a little devoid of anything on the same caliber. Seriously, they went to space in the last film and Fast X doesn’t have anything nearly on that level. Instead, it genuinely feels like Fast X has had its creative vision stripped away, as it simply hits standard marks for its action. Also, the effects look noticeably crummier this time around and outside of a couple sequences – like a rolling bomb ball throughout Rome and a wicked cannon car – there aren’t many standout action moments.
If a sequel is meant to outdo its predecessor, Fast X simply doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a total loss. For fans going into Fast X, there’s still plenty of fun to be had with this ever-growing group of characters going into wildly action-packed adventures around the world. The cast is just as charming and hilariously fun as they generally always are and even with the action feeling a little too back-to-basics for this franchise, it’s still worthy of a high-priced ticket just to see it on the biggest screen possible. However, there are noticeable downgrades within the story and characters that stem from the lackluster script and creative vision.
With how recycled and predictable the one-liners are and how hilariously bad some of the scenes are, it literally feels like this film is barely trying to be even remotely okay. Some of the ways you hear characters talk or see how the camera captures them are so awkward and forced that you feel like the franchise has turned into a corny soap opera. The jokes have little charm, making them nearly groan-worthy, and it simply feels like Fast X is only interested in reiterating the same ideas about family and banter between characters.
Even a vast majority of the new characters introduced either feel like unnecessary stand-ins or are just walking-talking plot devices. Now, this isn’t new for this franchise and fans will likely be fine with how Fast X doesn’t feel too different from the previous films – especially since it doesn’t completely hinder its fun aspects. However, Fast X falling into the same patterns as the previous films is kind of a problem, since it’s clear that it is trying to set a new standard for the franchise.
The best way to describe what Fast X is going for with its story and characters is by saying that it’s combining elements of Avengers: Infinity War and The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight comparison largely stems from how the film’s main villain, Dante (Jason Momoa), is characterized, since he harnesses all the anarchist chaos of Heath Ledger’s Joker and, honestly, it’s pretty amazing.
Momoa’s performance as Dante is not only the best part of Fast X, but he’s also a strong contender to be the best villain of the entire franchise. Dante’s bombastic and unpredictable nature is just a blast to watch and Momoa perfectly leans into the sheer wildness of his character’s personality. There are so many entertaining moments with Dante – from incredible line deliveries to the good mix of brain and brawn – that you literally want to cheer when he shows up on-screen. It’s also great that the more disturbing sides of his character aren’t shied away from, since it helps give him a legitimately daunting presence. Momoa’s performance is easily going to be a crowd-favorite and it definitely makes the clear plans for there to be more films surrounding this storyline much more exciting.
The reason that Fast X also has similar vibes to Infinity War is that it’s clearly the start of a bigger conflict. Fast X is not meant to be seen as just another one-off entry, but the first act of a high-stakes war. Plus, the overall concept of the film just feels Infinity War-inspired. It basically follows Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew being broken apart and hunted by a big looming villain as Dante causes worldwide destruction to exact revenge for his father’s death. This ultimately leads to the team facing their greatest challenge yet and nearly having all their lives put in jeopardy. When you’re watching it all unfold, it’s seriously tough not to get Infinity War vibes and it ultimately acts as a gift and curse.
The idea of Fast X trying to be the start of something new for the franchise definitely helps it stand out and while the events mostly act as set-up for things to come, the potential is strong. As said before, having Momoa stick around as Dante creates some excitement for future films and what it sets up in the post-credits scene is pretty awesome. The next film could definitely surprise people with who leads it, and the finale of Fast X definitely leaves the beloved characters in perilous positions they’ve never had to be in before. Unfortunately, the stakes still feel so low in this franchise that the grave impact of what’s happening never hits.
The impact of character deaths, or lack thereof, are especially an issue here, since death feels totally meaningless. It’s almost like this franchise can’t help itself in wanting to resurrect its past and it leads to baffling, logic-defying moments that undo some of the most emotionally driven choices of previous films. There’s even one major death in this that’s supposed to feel definitive that struggles to really feel impactful because of this franchise’s history with death. It’s simply set a bad standard with pretending to kill its characters so they might not even be dead. It seriously wouldn’t be surprising at this point to see that character just walk back into the film even though it would make zero sense and that’s kind of disappointing. If this new trilogy, duology, or whatever it ends up being wants to really subvert expectations, then it needs to solve its issues by really raising the stakes and making choices that actually matter.
For better or worse, Fast X is the start of a new era in the Fast franchise and it’s kind of a mixed bag. Momoa’s performance and the usual formula of this franchise keep it fun enough to kick back and have fun at the movies, but in terms of its wider plans and just generally keeping audiences hooked, it needs to do better.
