It’s hard to believe that the Fast And Furious franchise is still going strong more than two decades later with its 11th instalment (counting Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), Fast X. The franchise is showing no signs of slowing down and is going full speed ahead with more sequels. Read on to find out what I thought of Fast X.

Family First

What can I say about Fast X? There’s really not much to say besides that it delivers more of the same action from the same ‘family’ we’ve grown with over the years. The premise in Fast X follows the conventional trope that someone from the past comes to haunt Dominic Toretto and his ‘family’ for vengeance. This time, it’s in the form of Jason Momoa’s Dante. I think it’s cool that Dante is a character that has ties to a previous Fast And Furious movie, but the rest of the movie is still as formulaic and predictable as you’d expect from a Fast And Furious movie.

The biggest problem with Fast X is that it’s way too long. At 2 hours and 20 minutes, it feels draggy, especially in the second act near the middle of the movie, and this is despite the movie being pretty much almost balls-to-the-walls action from start to finish. That being said, too much of anything is never a good thing. Another issue that may frustrate viewers is that Fast X is actually just Part One of a potential duology or trilogy of movies. Fast X ends on a ridiculous and unsatisfying cliffhanger, and it’s clear that the filmmakers want to evoke the same vibe as 2018’s Avengers Infinity War. Unfortunately, they failed, as what happened at the end made many of the viewers in my cinema hall erupt into laughter instead. In the same way that Avengers Infinity War led the way for Avengers Endgame, the purpose of Fast X is mainly to set up the next sequel.

Of course, Fast X is not all bad. Like I previously mentioned, it features a lot of the adrenaline-pumping and physics-defying action that we’ve come to associate with the franchise. There’s no problem with liking that, since that’s the main appeal and selling point of the franchise anyways. Sometimes you just want to relax, switch your brain off and enjoy some mindless movies. They’re called popcorn flicks for a reason.

The biggest highlight of Fast X is the new additions to the huge cast. These include the characters played by Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and Daniela Melchior. I can’t reveal the names of the latter two due to spoilers, but they make the movie much more refreshing. This is especially true when discussing Jason Momoa’s turn as the antagonist, Dante. It’s great to see Momoa play against type here. He’s usually typecast as the cool or macho dude-bro but here he seems to be channelling a more flamboyant and playful villain, sort of like the Joker or Riddler. He plays the role with such relish and glee that it’s easy to laugh along when he does; even when he commits heinous crimes.

Mindless Fun

I won’t pretend that the Fast And Furious franchise was ever a complex or artistic one, but Fast X is more of the same that we’ve come to expect. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll probably enjoy this latest instalment. If you were never a fan, Fast X is further evidence that the franchise won’t be converting you into one anytime soon.

P.S.: Stay behind for a mid-credits scene!

FINAL SCORE: 50/100

We attended an early screener of Fast X courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia. Fast X is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 18 May 2023.