Story and tone

The “Fast and the Furious” franchise has embedded itself so deeply in popular culture that it’s hard to imagine the modern world without it. It is as widespread as Corona Extra beer or family values, which the car saga characters have discussed for many years. The “Fast and the Furious” franchise can’t even end properly, since the tenth film launches a trilogy meant to conclude the world’s most popular car saga.

The life of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is going on as usual. He teaches his son how to drift a muscle car, drinks beer, digs through car parts, and generally doesn’t seem worried. But with Toretto’s past, such an idyll could not last forever – a new dangerous enemy, Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), starts hunting him down. He wants to kill Dominic and destroy everything that matters to the protagonist before that.

Have you read the punch line? Great, now you can forget about it. After all, Fast and Furious is a movie in which the plot and script play such an insignificant role that you can safely ignore them.

Visual imagination

The new movie actively references the previous Fast and Furious installments, as if flirting with the franchise’s fans.”Fast and Furious X” honors the memory of the late Paul Walker with a remix of the song “See You Again”. However, it all feels a bit tortured and forced. As, indeed, does so much of this racing series. However, the fanservice is on point, and we’ll note that.
But how can you criticize something that has worked successfully for many years? Seeing Fast and Furious X will not change your perception of the franchise because the movie does not go beyond its formula. Don’t expect cars in space here, even if each chase is pretentious and tasteful. Fast and Furious fans are still likely to find something surprising here.

Voice performances

Yes, the acting of Jason Momoa and Brie Larson is a pleasant surprise here. Dante is a first-rate sociopathic antagonist who attracts the audience’s eyes and captivates with his charm. The medley of star actors in the movie will appeal to those who watch movies only for the sake of famous names. And one could speculate about the characterization and the time given to each. Still, here everyone has approximately equal importance in the story.

Music and sound

The new movie actively references the previous Fast and Furious installments, as if flirting with the franchise’s fans. Even the memory of the deceased Paul Walker is honored with a remix of the same song See You Again by Fast and Furious X.

Themes

“Fast and Furious X” seems to cross out all those norms of High Cinema that directors like Martin Scorsese and David Lynch have discussed for many years. It would be best to go to this movie with a group of loud friends to discuss what is happening during the movie actively. And could you bring along some snacks and drinks? It’s not the most cultured behavior, but believe me, there’s nothing worthwhile in Fast and Furious that can be missed behind the jokes and smack talk.

Pros

• Strong fanservice aimed at longtime followers of the franchise.
• Jason Momoa’s charismatic and memorable antagonist.
• A large ensemble cast with equal narrative importance.
• Spectacle-driven action that stays true to the franchise formula.

Cons

• The plot and script play an insignificant role.
• Fanservice often feels forced and overused.
• The film offers little innovation or surprise beyond expectations.

Final verdict

“Fast and Furious X” is not even a high-speed ride from the world of cinema. Instead, it can be compared to all kinds of chips and snacks that appear as quickly as they disappear. And even though a comparison with food is a nasty tone when it comes to criticizing works of art, in the case of Fast and Furious, it is impossible to deny this weakness for some reason.