I hope you’re ready to strap in for physics-defying stunts, ridiculous car chases, and ice-cold Coronas, because Fast X is now playing in theaters. The latest installment of the Fast & Furious franchise got off to a good start with $7.5 million in Thursday previews, but with a whopping budget estimated to be somewhere around $340 million, the sequel is going to have to pull out all the stops at the box-office.
Fast X find Dom Torretto (Vin Diesel) and his family confronting the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything — and everyone — that Dom loves, forever. In addition to Vin Diesel, Fast X stars Jason Staham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchoir, and Rita Moreno. The film was directed by Louis Leterrier, who’s set to return for the next installment, from a script by Justin Lin and Dan Mazeau.
Our own Chris Bumbray said that while Louis Leterrier keeps things moving so that you’ll never be bored, Fast X is ultimately “all sizzle, no steak.” Bumbray added that the movie spends too much time setting up the next installment. “They’re trying hard to be Avengers: Infinity War here, but that movie was still satisfying in its own right, whereas Fast X isn’t really,” Bumbray wrote. “Some new cast members, such as Brie Larson and Alan Ritchson, are stuck with embarrassingly thin roles. Larson, in particular, is wasted in a part that serves as little more than a setup for Kurt Russell’s Mr. Nobody to presumably return in the next film. The movie ends with a bunch of teases that are supposed to pump the audience up for the next one, but as the credits roll, one can’t help but feel as though the movie was just one big long tease.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.
At the moment, Fast X is sitting at 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience score is much higher at 83%. This places it a little below F9, which has 59%, but is anyone really looking at what the critics think when it comes to this franchise? Please let us know what you thought of Fast X in the comments below!