"Fast X" has mostly the same flaws as the previous installments, but the plot is more unpredictable than what one might expect. We know where things are headed in general terms, but I was constantly wondering “What’s going to happen in the next scene?”. And some plot twists (including the one from the mid-credits scene) caught me off guard. Although, what happens during the last scene is unexpected in a bad way. I yelled “Fuck you!” at the screen. I’m not joking. Ask anyone who was inside the theater with me. The casting of Jason Momoa made all of us assume the character’s personality would be the same as the other muscular antagonists, but Dante Reyes is actually very effeminate. I’m not qualified to say whether he’s an offensive stereotype or not, but I can say that he’s very unique. His theatricality is fun and I’m surprised that his sadistic sense of humor wasn’t toned down (considering this is a blockbuster). And despite having many comedic moments, he’s not a joke. Every step of his plan proves that he’s a real threat. It seemed like the stakes would never be high after the heroes became indestructible, but he raises them. "F9: The Fast Saga" teased a confrontation between two certain individuals, but it was all for nothing. It’s not even the same context. That scene implied that Character A showed up at Character B’s door because they wanted revenge. Here, we see that scene again, as well as the before and after. It turns out that Character A needs Character B’s help during the current conflict. Alright, but there can still be tension between them, right? No, Character A immediately clarifies that they’re not holding a grudge. Then why mislead the audience? Also, it’s not impossible for these two to bury the hatchet, but why skip it? Rivalries are a big component of this franchise, whether it’s a wish to kill someone or simply 2 friends having a pissing contest. This rivalry could’ve been the deepest and most entertaining out of them all. What a wasted opportunity.

 

6/10