A still from ‘Fast X’
| Photo Credit: Peter Mountain

That rolling bomb inexorably moving towards Vatican and the Tiber reminded me of the bouncing boulder from The Raiders of the Lost Ark and the runaway globe from The Pink Panther. The bomb in the truck (not bus, and anyway there is no Keanu Reeves, busy as he is at the High Table, to stop it) has the two stand-out stunts in a thicket of jaw-droppers.

There is Dom (Vin Diesel) doing a somersault over the said truck and there is also his wife, Letty, (Michelle Rodriguez) vaulting over an on-coming vehicle on her bike pivoting on her heel. After those two eyeball-scorchers, everything else felt a little bleh bleh bleh… to quote our favourite bloodthirsty count.

After a dash of retcon of 2011’s Fast Five seen from drug lord, Hernan Reyes, and his son Dante’s (Jason Momoa) perspective, we are in present-day Los Angeles where Dom, Letty and their son, Brian, (Leo Abelo Perry) are breaking bread with Abuelita Toretto (Rita Moreno) and the extended family, Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Han (Sung Kang).

Roman is excited about leading a mission in Rome in a gold Lamborghini. They realise too late that they have been had and everything and everyone goes south. Dom and his crew are blamed for the bomb in Rome and have to go under. Tess (Brie Larson), Mr Nobody’s daughter, is convinced of the gang’s innocence but has a tough time convincing the new boss of Mr Nobody’s secret agency, Aimes (Alan Ritchson).

Jason Momoa in a still from ‘Fast X’
| Photo Credit:
Giulia Parmigiani

Roman, Tej, Ramsey and Han manage to get out of Rome and into London. When their bid to restock brings the authorities down on them like a ton of bricks, it is time for yet another bald and beautiful expert, Shaw (Jason Statham) to step in.

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Dante, who is behind all the manic mayhem that befalls the group as revenge for his father’s death and his family’s bankruptcy, goes after Dom’s son and it is up to his (Dom’s) sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster) and brother Jakob (John Cena) to step into the breach. Cyber terrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron) with another smart haircut, is there to help or hinder the Torettos’ efforts, while Queenie, (Helen Mirren) Shaw’s mum, makes regal pronouncements as she pats Dom on his broad shoulders revealing her carnelian nails.

Even giving 10 minutes each to the stars, and some time for the adrenaline-fuelled stunts equals a movie that is rather long. All the arcs need to be going somewhere to conclude in the final episode or two. All that we liked about the franchise is there including monster motors, vaguely juvenile jousting (we did find it funny when we were younger and more confused) and a spot of street racing.

Momoa is a hoot with his purple nails and car (I love the colour), and flowy silhouette. Diesel continues to be big and growly with soft doggy eyes. Ritchson manages to flex his biceps while deadpanning lines such as “the blow back will be existential” and “if they can defy god and gravity, they’ll do it twice”… whoo hoo! That mid-credit scene incidentally proves there are no forever friends or enemies in tinsel town.

Fast X is currently running in theatres