Fast X is the tenth, and at least as of this writing, the second-to-last installment in the Fast & Furious franchise of movies. It honestly still amazes me that a film about an undercover cop taking down a gang of robbers/street racers turned into a movie franchise that is so far removed from the premise of the original film, but here we are. The movie was released in 2023 and was directed by Louis Leterrier, who took over for Justin Lin, who was still given a writing and producing credit. Nearly every actor from the franchise appeared in the film (with a few exceptions), including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Charlize Theron, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren, and Jason Statham. The newcomers for this movie include Rita Moreno, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Brie Larson, Leo Abelo Perry, and Jason Momoa. Paul Walker was also included via the use of archival footage. His daughter Meadow was also given a small role in the film. Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson (or Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson; if you know, you know) also reprise their roles. The latter, of course, being a major surprise, given the falling out The Rock and Vin Diesel had after The Fate of the Furious.
As many of the films in the series do, this one ties back to prior events. Specifically, it ties back to the events of Fast Five. The opening sequence uses footage from the bridge chase in Fast Five and shows events from the point of view of this film's main antagonist, Dante Reyes (played by Momoa), the son of Fast Five's big bad, Hernan Reyes. He hatches a plot to get revenge against Dom and the team, first to frame them, and then to start taking everyone out. The best sequence is toward the beginning of the film involving a chase through the streets of Rome.
The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. It is pretty much at or near reference-quality, and if you have a big screen and a multi-channel Dolby Atmos sound system, you will not be disappointed. All the bonus features are included on the UHD disc. There is around an hour and twenty minutes, give-or-take, of bonus content, including a gag reel, a making-of featurette, scene breakdowns, and a couple of music videos. There is also a director's commentary track on the film in which Leterrier (who is definitely a fan of the franchise) breaks down the movie and its production.
If you have seen the prior movies, this one is pretty much par for the course. You know what you are getting with the films at this point. A lot of action, much of it completely unrealistic and over-the-top, and okay (at best) writing and acting. Some stunts are so over-the-top that the only way to pull them off was to use CGI animation (which still looks like animation even if it gets better all the time). The theme of family, which has prevailed throughout the series, is really the only serious part of the movies. Everything else is done pretty tongue-in-cheek. It mixes action and comedy (mostly from Gibson, Ludacris, and Cena) with some drama. Momoa seemed to have a blast playing the bad guy in this movie, and if you watch the bonus content and listen to the commentary, you find out that he did almost all of his own stunts, including the motorcycle stunt driving. He was definitely the highlight of this installment. The movie ends on a major cliffhanger, and the final scene and mid-credits tag set up the involvement of more characters in what is planned to be the final movie in the series. Ultimately, if you have stuck with the franchise this far, this is worth checking out. If you have not liked the other movies, especially as the plots became more outrageous, this will probably not do much for you.
