Female Film Critics 24/375
Fasten your seat belts! Fast X – the 10th installment in the Fast and Furious franchise – is just the first of a three-part finale revolving around continuing saga of street-racing vigilantes, headed by mumbling Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel). No longer satisfied with L.A, drag racing, the action-packed locations include stunts and demolition in Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, Antarctica and outer space (not really!) – on a $340 million budget.
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Unfortunately, this was one of the worst Fast and Furious films. I think we all expect the movies to be silly and they have always been self-aware of how ridiculous they can be with their impossible stunts. But sadly, Fast X just proves that the franchise is running out of gas. Fast X pushes the boundaries of how far their over-the-top storylines and action can go. These movies should go back to the basics of films 1 through 5 and stay more focused. Also, enough with the dramatic “all about family” conversations. Even with outlandish plots and stunts, the dialogue can at least be realistic. Fast X” does end on a cliffhanger, setting up for what is supposed to be the franchise’s final film. If that’s the case, what they have put in place could make for a better second half of this story and hopefully, a respectable goodbye.
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After 22 years, the Fast and Furious franchise finally gets a memorable villain in Fast X, thanks to Jason Momoa. This series needs an adversary as gonzo as its off-the-wall antics, and bless Momoa (Slumberland) for going the extra mile and then some. As the son of the drug lord whom the crew robbed and killed by hauling a vault through the streets of Rio in 2011’s Fast Five, his character has a vendetta against Fast’s extended faaaaamily.
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Dominic Toretto and his team of heisting hoodlums with hearts are still pushing the pedal to the metal 21 years after they first got their license to drive to the top of the Box Office. There’s no truth to the rumor that the working title for this 10th installment was Fast X-LAX. After all, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and the rest of the family have been kicking butt and taking names since 2001. That’s a lot of stress on the body, but in Fast X there is no easing up on the gas and no brake (break) in sight….until at least Fast 12.
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Paul Feig’s The School For Good And Evil may not reinvent the old fairy tale spinning wheel, but there is enough here to keep viewers – especially tweens – engaged and entertained thanks to a strong take on female friendship. Aside from themes of friendship, the underlying current of prejudice in the storyline is a good lesson for younger audience members who get a first-hand glimpse at what it means to judge a book by its cover.
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Victoria Mahoney is directing the sequel to Netflix’s 2020 hit action film The Old Guard. Mahoney will take the helm of the follow-up from Gina Prince-Bythewood, who broke Netflix records with The Old Guard.
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Originally released 20 years ago as a supercharged B-movie about street racing, starring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, the gritty Fast and Furious franchise has continued to flourish – “a quarter mile at a time,” as Dominic Toretto would say. Thinly scripted by Daniel Casey, Alfredo Botello and director Justin Lin, this ninth installment revolves around generic Toretto sibling angst, punctuated by preposterous, over-the-top, physics-defying stunts and the sound of purring engines, squealing tires and skidding stops.
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F9: The Fast Saga is truly the most ridiculous movie I’ve ever seen. There were times when I was rolling my eyes so hard I feared they’d roll right out of their sockets. A scene where two dudes get shot into outer space in a souped-up car wearing vintage diving dress comes to mind. It is, however, a film that features not one or two, but six smart, independent women in positions of power, who can fight as hard and well as the men do. They need no rescuing. In fact, in F9 they often take control of the situation.
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After breaking viewership records on Netflix, Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s action movie The Old Guard also is gaining attention for boasting a post-production team comprised of about 85% women.
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For the first time this summer, I’m not missing all the big loud comic-book movies we’re being bombarded with in an alt-timeline. I like those movies, but they do tend to dominate the pop-culture conversation. With them off the radar this year, there’s room to breathe for a fantastic little pulp comic-book movie like The Old Guard.
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