So, I stated in a review from a couple of weeks ago that the Summer movie season has officially begun with the early May foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And just when does the movie madness kick in, where’s the big action blockbusters? Well, it goes full-throttle right now as we shift (see what I’m doing here) from the MCU to the F&FU (maybe I should leave off that last letter). We can officially call this one of our most enduring film franchises as it’s now well over 21 (so don’t imbibe before sliding into the driver’s seat). This weekend, and for a few weeks thereafter, action enthusiasts will buckle up at the multiplex for FAST X. And man, you can pop your corn on those searing engines.
Just like today’s big streaming release, this one starts with a flashback, to the big stunt set piece from FAST FIVE. That’s when our heroes trekked to Rio in order to literally rip a big armored safe from the wall of the HQ of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). As radio comic Jerry Cologna said (aging myself here), “Ah, something new’s been added”. Turns out that part of the big chase was Hernan’s son, Dante (Jason Momoa), who took a dip as his pop was offed. And now we’re back to today as Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) hosts a big outdoor feast for his visiting grandmother Abuelita (Rita Moreno). Oh, and it’s also a going away party for the agency-backed mission in Rome lead by, appropriately, Roman (Tyrese Gibson), aided by Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), Han (Sung Kang), and, of course, Tej (Ludacris). All seems right until they get a surprise late-night visitor, former enemy Cipher (Charlize Theron), who is badly wounded. Seems that she and her crew were ambushed by Dante and his squad. Dom contacts his man with US intel, Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) who has no knowledge of the Rome mission. It’s a set-up, a trap! It’s off to Italy for Dom and his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), who arrive just in time for Dante’s frame job. The Toretto crew is thought to have unleashed a big explosive device that almost levels Vatican City. Letty is nabbed, while Dom embarks on a globe-wide hunt for Dante, with the new agency head Aimes (Alan Ritchson) in hot pursuit. Luckily Mr. Nobody’s daughter Tess (Brie Larson) believes in Dom, as does brother Jakob (John Cena) and a reluctant Shaw (Jason Statham).
The action is so, well, F&F, it’s tough to focus on principal performances. Of course, the lead is, once again, Diesel, who is the anchor and father figure to his “famlee”, offering sage advice and mentorship to “little B’, a bit of romance to Letty, and snarling retorts to all the baddies. And the main one this time is the scenery-chewing Momoa, who seems to truly enjoy channeling his “dark side” as the gleefully sadistic Dante. Imagine the crossed DNA of the Joker (one scene actually recreates a bit of the 1989 BATMAN) and Fabio (could this be his audition for DC’s “Lobo”). Although many of the one-liners are “groaners”, nobody can accuse him of “phoning it in” even as he seems too “campy” for a fellow avenging his father. Theron gets to go more villainess in the last act, while MCU sister Larson flexes her martial arts chops while engaging in verbal showdowns with Ritchson. Coming off her recent triumph in the D&D flick, Rodriguez is a full warrior queen. Cena scores some laughs as the affable protector of Dom’s nephew, while Statham flaunts that surly attitude as Shaw. Naturally, we get to see Gibson and Ludacris bicker and squabble in bits that were tiresome three movies ago. And it’s nice to see screen vets Moreno and Helen Mirren even though they have little to do other than lend their still white-hot charisma.
The traffic cop in the director’s chair this time out is Louis Leterrier, who is able to keep the film moving even as it slows down for some exposition that builds to another “can we top this” action set piece. And that’s in between the many locale changes, swiftly going from Rome to LA, to London to Puerto Rico and Portugal, with a side trek through the frozen tundra. What’s truly surprising is that the script, for one scene as Aimes gloms over the history of Dom’s crew, actually goes “meta” even veering into satire as it embraces the absurdity of the stunts (monitors behind Aimes replay clips from previous entries). So, yes they know it’s some goofball…stuff. It’s odd that they start with a sequence from FIVE since that’s the one that perhaps began the “break from reality” along with physics and gravity. And I know these flicks are review-proof since anyone that’s been exposed to the franchise knows what they’re “getting into”, despite what will probably be an irritating final act (at least they’re placated with a nifty mid-credits scene). If you approach this with the proper frame of mind, you’ll enjoy the wonky excess (and I’m including Momoa) of FAST X. For the rest of us, at least it’s well short of three hours. Whew!
2 Out of 4
FAST X is now playing in theatres everywhere
