Susan Granger’s review of “Fast X” (Universal Pictures)
Fasten your seat belts! “Fast X” – the 10th installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise – is just the first of a three-part finale revolving around continuing saga of street-racing vigilantes, headed by mumbling Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel).
Joining Toretto, there’s his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguz) and their young son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) – Dom’s brother Jakob (John Cena), Tej Parker (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges), Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Han (Sung Kang).
Adding a bit of class, Queenie (Helen Mirren) is back, along with the cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), who is no longer an adversary because, as she explains to Dom: “The enemy of my enemy is you.”
The bad guy is flamboyant Dante Reyes (scene-stealing “Aquaman” Jason Momoa), the sociopathic son of Hernan Reyes, the Brazilian drug kingpin killed by Dom and his cohorts back in 2011. He’s still furious about his father’s death and out for vengeance.
Also added to the rapidly growing cast are Brie Larson as rogue Agent Tess and Alan Richtson as Aimes, the new Agency head. (Ritchson’s even better as TV’s “Reacher,” based on Lee Child’s best-selling series). Scott Eastwood surfaces as the Agent ‘Little Nobody,’ and, of course, Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw.
Plus Daniela Melchior as Isabel, a Brazilian street racer with past ties to Dom – and cameos by comedian Pete Davdson, Meadow Walker (daughter of actor Paul Walker, who died in a 2013 car crash), as a flight attendant, and Rita Moreno, as Dom and Mia’s (Jordana Brewster) beloved abuelita.
No longer satisfied with L.A, drag racing, the action-packed locations include stunts and demolition in Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, Antarctica and outer space (not really!) – on a $340 million budget.
There’s a new director, Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter,” “You See Me”), in the driver’s seat that was vacated by director Justin Lin, who wrote the senseless, recycled, cliché-clogged screenplay with Dan Mazeau & Gary Scott Thompson. The series concept was based on a 1998 Vibe magazine article.
Bottom Line: It’s wheely, wheely stupid – but it does tease the return of Dwayne Johnson in the next round.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fast X” skids in with a frenetic yet futile 4, playing in theaters.
