By John Corrado

★★ (out of 4)

Fast X is the tenth entry in the Fast and Furious saga (the eleventh if you count the spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw), and at this point the series has fully embraced its status as offering little more than brainless entertainment fuelled by fast cars and hot stars.

As such, Fast X doesn’t reinvent the wheel (no pun intended) for the series. While French director Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me, Transporter 2) is taking over the reigns for the first time, he offers the usual mix of giant action set-pieces featuring a massive cast of characters, backed by self-serious dramatic themes of family and fatherhood.

It’s a formula that has worked pretty well for the film series so far, even if it has never reached the level of more artful action blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick (both of which also had superior instalments this year). Instead, Fast X is all about doubling down on brawn over brains, which is basically what has made this franchise so massively successful at the box office, but it’s also hard to deny that the results feel somewhat diminished this time around.

This instalment is set up as the first half of a two-part finale for the series, bringing together a bunch of new and familiar faces to complete the saga of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), who got his start as a Los Angeles drag racer but has now settled down with his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry). Dom and his “family” get called back into action when a new villain emerges in the form of Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), the flamboyant son of the Brazilian drug lord they took down in Fast Five, who wants revenge for the death of his father.

Even by the mostly undemanding standards of this series, Fast X is a somewhat uneven entry into the franchise. The story is meant to connect a lot of characters and story strands from across the previous films, but it feels pretty bloated and convoluted, offering a lot of what amounts to fan service that more casual viewers might see less of a reason to care about (I personally don’t have much of any allegiance to the series, so it’s worth noting that more serious fans might feel differently).

Leterrier assembles a large ensemble cast, with no less than four Oscar-winning actresses in the mix (Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno and Charlize Theron). But the one who’s having the most fun is Momoa, whose anything-goes performance as the high camp villain adds a tongue-in-cheek element to the film. Dante is a queer-coded baddie whose bizarre, unpredictable behaviour changes from scene to scene, suggesting a sort of split personality, and Momoa’s portrayal toes the line between being wildly over-the-top and weirdly entertaining to watch. It’s like he’s in his own movie.

The main draw of the film are the set-pieces that are often each more ridiculous than the last, such as a ludicrous sequence involving a gigantic bomb rolling through the streets of Rome (which could also be seen as a bit of a “jump the shark” moment for the series). Leterrier does stage some decent car action throughout, including a fun drag race in Rio de Janeiro that harkens back to the simpler early days of the series.

It’s a complete cheesefest, and the formula is starting to show some rust ten films in. But Fast X is all about giving the longtime fans what they want in terms of dumb fun, and they should be reasonably satisfied as it builds to a cliffhanger ending that sets up the next one (and probably at least another one after that).

Bonus Features (Blu-ray):

The Blu-ray boasts over an hour of bonus content, and there is a lot of solid behind the scenes material here. A regular DVD is also included in the package, which ships with a shiny slipcover.

• Gag Reel (4 minutes, 56 seconds)

• This is Family (35 minutes, 13 seconds): An extended look at crafting this tenth instalment, including Leterrier coming onboard as a fan of the series, building off of events that happened in Fast Five, and working with the large cast.

• Fast Breaks: Scene Breakdown with Louis Leterrier (7 minutes, 46 seconds): Leterrier breaks down the behind the scenes of a few set-pieces, including the bomb in Rome.

• Xtreme Rides of Fast X (12 minutes, 54 seconds): A look at the different cars featured in the film, including classic cars from the franchise.

• Belles of the Brawl (7 minutes, 14 seconds): A look at the fight scenes showcasing the different actresses in the film, with Rodriguez and Theron doing their own stunts.

• Tuned Into Rio (5 minutes, 6 seconds): A closer look at the drag racing scene in Rio, and how it builds off of previous entries in the series.

• Jason Momoa: Conquering Rome (3 minutes, 2 seconds): A look at what Momoa brings to the character, including doing his own stunts.

• Little B Takes the Wheel (3 minutes, 5 seconds): A look at how child actor Leo Abelo Perry embraced the role of Dom’s son.

• A Friend in the End (1 minute, 29 seconds): A brief look at the end credits stinger that brings back a familiar face.

• Music Videos (Play All – 6 minutes, 28 seconds)

• “Toretto” by J Balvin (3 minutes, 16 seconds)

• “Angel Pt. 1” by Kodak Black & Nle Choppa (featuring Jimin of BTS, JVKE & Muni Long) (3 minutes, 5 seconds)

• Feature Commentary with Director Louis Leterrier

Fast X is a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. It’s 140 minutes and rated PG.

Street Date: August 15th, 2023