Franchise Expansion (Or Implosion): Fast X

Franchise Expansion (or Implosion) is a column that looks at franchises that have new installments or releases forthcoming. In looking at a franchise, each entry in a franchise will be given a review and then be examined as part of the bigger franchise. (i.e., Was this sequel a worthy expansion of this franchise or was it an implosion of sorts?)

If you had told me when I initially saw the original The Fast & The Furious at age twelve that it would inspire a massive franchise, now dubbed The Fast Saga, I wouldn’t have believed you. Nevertheless, it did just that, spanning nine sequels and a spin-off (thus far). I’ll be racing a quarter-mile to supposedly where “the road to the end begins” with Fast X (2023)!

The Fast & The Furious franchise has been around for nearly a quarter of a century. Since The Fast and The Furious (2001), which was essentially a remake of Point Break (1991) — before the latter itself was remade in 2015 — has evolved or devolved, depending on your perspective. It’s a series that has gone from being about street racing to being bombastic spy-based action flicks that feature set pieces revolving around souped-up cars. But audiences have enjoyed this evolution as the franchise now draws in generational viewers. Such a vast draw is appropriate, considering one of the central motifs of the franchise for at least half of its run has been “family.” A theme that has become either chuckle-inducing or grating depending on how many times the word is said by any of these characters.

The films also became expensive thanks to their massive casts (because, you know, everyone’s family) and costly set pieces. That may be why Universal Pictures decided to start wrapping it up with the movie in review. Thus, it’s fitting that Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond), along with screenwriter Dan Mazeau (Damsel and the upcoming adaptation of Image Comics’ Cowboy Viking Ninja), penned the story that will be the beginning of the end for this franchise of evermore convoluted continuity. After all, Lin is largely responsible for the direction these flicks took over the years, having helmed five out of this series’ eleven installments, if you include Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019).

Lin was initially slated to direct Fast X, but abruptly quit a mere week into production. His departure was purportedly due to star Vin Diesel‘s (Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3) on-set behavior and lack of work ethic. You can see the tension between them in an exceptionally awkward Instagram video released when production first began. Despite the director and actor’s extensive history, this split doesn’t come as a real surprise. Keep in mind that Mr. Franchise Viagra himself, Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam) — who co-starred in four Fast sequels and headlined a spinoff — left after a very public feud with Diesel.

So while this cinematic vehicle had been manufactured, no one could drive it to the finish line. Thus, there was a scramble to find a director to get this show on the road. Enter veteran action genre director Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk), who is an excellent choice for multiple reasons — not the least of which, he is the second most notable genre director to come out of France, only second to Luc Besson (of the upcoming DogMan). Beyond that, though, Leterrier broke onto the scene with the first two installments in The Transporter franchise, which stars Fast alum Jason Statham. Therefore, he was no stranger to car-heavy action flicks. Despite the change in directors, the story for this film still follows the screenplay written by Lin and Mazeau.

Fast X finds Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his ever-growing family have come a long way. They’ve gone from being a crew that hijacked semi-trucks full of VCR/DVD combo players to being operatives for the secret government organization only known as The Agency. Per usual, though, the crew finds a nice work-life balance. As well they should since they’re all so family-oriented. Alas, their somewhat-peaceful lives are disrupted by a shadow from the past, specifically the now retconned events of Fast Five (2011). It turns out that sequel’s villain, drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), has a son we didn’t know about back then, Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), who now seeks vengeance for his father. And in that quest, he will put Dom, his family, and anyone tangentially associated with them through every circle of Hell he can devise!

These days, I, unfortunately, have less time on my hands than I did back when Fast Five was released. If that weren’t the case, I would have rewatched that fifth film in preparation for this review. After all, I and many viewers find Five the best of the Fast sequels. Luckily, though, the Fast X‘s first twenty minutes give us a retconned refresher of the events that serve as the inciting incident here. Following that, we’re thrown into an overly long film that races from one revenge-driven and extremely noticeable green-screened action set piece to another.

That’s probably a good thing, though, since this final(ish) installment has the same issues as The Fate of The Furious (2017) and F9: The Fast Saga (2019). There’s still enough absurd action, some of which is practically executed to provide entertainment value. Alas, this movie and the franchise are riding on tires that are wearing thin. This series is supposed to be mindless fun. But even popcorn fodder could work better with stakes, and this series became stakeless a while ago. Fast X is another installment in what has become a line of Franchise Implosions.

Now, while the Fast franchise is running on fumes for me, Fast X is more entertaining than its immediate predecessor, thanks to injecting a few new additives into its fuel supply. Unlike previous entries, this (possibly) penultimate installment is meta. The screenwriters and most of the characters in the supporting cast are aware of how ridiculous it is that they keep surviving all the exponentially increasing insanity that takes place in these flicks. Although, not to the point of breaking the fourth wall. Instead, it’s a simple nudge-and-wink to the long-running audience of this series. The glaring exception to this is Diesel, who plays everything with a dull seriousness that is almost sad. What’s also depressing, though, is that it seems the leading man and producer thinks he’s making meaningful cinema.

Regarding this film’s massive ensemble cast, one new member steals every scene he’s in and almost makes Fast X worth watching. Momoa as Dante is one of the most entertaining performances I’ve seen in a while. Moreover, it’s clear Mamoa is having the most fun he has ever had in this rare villainous turn. I enjoyed Dante so much there were times when I almost understood his motivations for revenge. After all, his character brings life to this series, whereas his heroic counterpart, Dom, seems half-dead. I also must credit John Cena, who reprises his role as Jakob. Unlike the previous sequel, where I loathed Cena’s stale, revenge-motivated take on the character, he’s happy and entertaining this time. He’s successfully gone from heel to lovable babyface in the best way possible.

The Fast Saga is racing toward the finish line, but is still ongoing. On June 12th, 2023, Vin Diesel announced the release of the conclusion of this franchise. (I’m still unclear if the next entry will be the genuine finale or if there will be a third film to become a finale trilogy like Universal wanted at one point in the not-too-distant past.) In any event, the actor/producer revealed via Instagram that the uniquely titled Fast X: Part 2 will premiere in theaters on Friday, April 4th, 2025. In addition to this official announcement, there are rumors that a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw is in the works as Johnson and Diesel have supposedly mended macho fences.