FAST X 🏎💨 (NO SPOILERS!) mini review:

It feels as if the last two post Paul Walker Fast and Furious movies have been an afterthought for the franchise. Entertaining to be sure, but directionless and lacking a clear sense of focus on where the whole thing is going. With FAST X, the eleventh installment in the long running saga, newcomer director Louis Leterrier shifts the story back into gear in a preposterously entertaining globe trotting adventure that pits Dom and his family against their most unbeatable adversary thus far. Sporting a massive ensemble cast of both new and returning characters, there’s quite a lot of moving parts as our heroes are spread out throughout the world with different missions and tasks to tend to. This element may disappoint some fans, as your favorite character might not receive the most screen time or get their moment to shine, however, it’s actually a stroke of genius that increases the unpredictability and allows for the Fast family to face dire repercussions.

At this point, Dominic Toretto is Vin Diesel‘s career defining role and unlike in F9, Dom is met with almost impossible odds and dilemmas that take his crazy 22 plus year journey to new levels. You can tell that Diesel loves this franchise and it shows through his gleefully corny dialogue and commitment to anchoring down the insanity of everything going on by emphasizing the importance of, you guessed it, family. There is genuinely something truly beautiful and touching about the running theme of family and appreciating your loved ones that has kept this absurd saga somewhat grounded over the years. Jason Mamoa’s Dante Reyes is out for revenge against Toretto for events that took place during Fast Five and this is where things really get interesting. Mamoa is having the time of his life playing a villain so cruel and unsympathetic towards human life that he feels like an unstoppable force who will kill the good guys and enjoy doing so. Mamoa’s Reyes being the embodiment of a sadistic man who just wants to watch the world burn completely raises the stakes for the Fast family and gives the story as a whole a legitimate reason to continue.

The rest of the supporting cast is also a treat, with Ludacris and Tyrese as Tej and Roman respectively stealing the comedic spotlight as usual, sometimes a little too much. Charlize Theron’s Cipher has a far different role than she previously did and one of the highlights of the entire film are her tension filled scenes with Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty who still has a bone to pick with her. Sung Kang’s Han and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw don’t get much to do here, but without going into detail, their one scene together is greatly satisfying fan service. Brie Larson, Daniela Melchior, and Alan Ritchson all make fine additions to the series, and each of their characters have a real story purpose for why they’re in it. Even John Cena as Dom’s brother Jakob has a fairly impactful story arc here as he shifts from beefing with Dom to protecting his brother’s son. Whether it’s a bombastic car chase with giant rolling bombs in Rome, vehicles falling out of planes, or helicopters being taken down by Dom in his seemingly invincible Dodge Charger, you’re either with it or you’re not by now. The adrenaline fueled car chases are absurdly thrilling, the hand to hand combat sequences are a step up from previous entries, and it all works for the most part because the film openly embraces its silliness and never apologizes for it.

There are far too many guest stars and cameos to mention, one in particular that momentarily took me out of the film and another that made me yell “WHAT?!?!” out loud. It suffers at times from being overstuffed, narratively uneven, and crumbling under the weight of the many storylines it attempts to weave together, which is obviously something this film is relying on its successors to solve. Thankfully, the main story is grounded enough in comparison to its two predecessors by presenting Dom and his family with deeply personal challenges that have major consequences. There is one mid credit scene and it’s absolutely pivotal. Overall, FAST X manages to find a mostly clear path towards the franchise's finish line in a messy yet preposterously entertaining globe trotting car smashing adventure of physics defying lunacy that raises the personal stakes, boasts a series best villain in Jason Mamoa’s flamboyantly psychopathic Dante Reyes, and intriguingly sets the stage for not one, but two unprecedentedly over the top final entries.