So, here we are. Ten movies in. If you told someone back in 2001 that the "street racing movie" with the guy from Pitch Black would eventually involve going to space and Jason Momoa licking blood off a knife, they’d think you were high. But that’s the reality of Fast X. It’s a massive, loud, and genuinely confusing piece of cinema that somehow manages to be both a legacy sequel and a soft reboot all at once.
Honestly, the movie is a fever dream.
You’ve got Dom Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, still talking about "Family" like it’s a religious sacrament. But this time, the stakes feel different because the villain isn't some faceless hacker or a rogue government agent with a grudge. It’s Dante Reyes. And let's be real—Momoa is the only reason this movie works as well as it does. He plays Dante like a chaotic, flamboyant version of the Joker if the Joker was obsessed with Italian motorcycles and silk shirts. He's terrifying because he isn't trying to rule the world; he just wants to watch Dom suffer. Slowly.
The Dante Reyes Problem and Why It Changes Everything
Most people remember Fast Five as the peak of the series. It’s the one where they dragged a giant vault through the streets of Rio. Fast X leans heavily on that nostalgia by retconning Dante into the opening sequence of that film. He was there the whole time. We just didn't see him. It’s a classic soap opera move, but in the context of this franchise, it actually fits.
Dante is the son of Hernan Reyes, the drug lord Dom and Brian killed on that bridge in Brazil. While previous villains like Cipher (Charlize Theron) were cold and calculating, Dante is purely emotional. He's a peacock. He paints the toenails of dead henchmen while chatting with them. It’s weird. It’s dark. It’s exactly what the series needed to shake off the staleness of the previous few entries.
The movie spends a lot of time trying to convince us that the "Family" is in real danger. For the first time in a decade, it feels like they might actually be right. By splitting the cast up—sending Tej, Roman, Ramsey, and Han to London while Dom heads to Rome—the director, Louis Leterrier, tries to create a sense of scale. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it just feels like we're watching four different movies that haven't been edited together quite right.
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Rome, Racing, and Ridiculous Physics
The Rome sequence is the centerpiece. It involves a giant rolling bomb—literally a massive metal sphere—tearing through the historic streets. It’s absurd. It’s also exactly what fans pay to see. The physics make zero sense. Cars fly. Explosions happen in ways that defy every law of thermodynamics ever written.
But that's the thing about Fast X. If you're looking for realism, you're in the wrong theater. You're in the wrong zip code.
What's interesting is how Leterrier handles the action compared to Justin Lin. Lin had a very geometric, precise way of filming car chases. Leterrier is more chaotic. There’s a handheld energy to the camerawork that makes the crashes feel heavier, even when they’re clearly CGI. The fight between Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Cipher in a black-site prison is a standout. It’s brutal, close-quarters stuff that reminds you these characters started as street-level thugs, not superheroes.
Why Everyone Is Confused About the Ending
Let's talk about that cliffhanger. Because it’s a doozy.
For years, we were told this was the beginning of the end. A two-part finale. Then Vin Diesel started hinting at a trilogy during the Rome premiere. As it stands, Fast X doesn't have an ending. It just... stops. Dom and his son Little B are trapped at the bottom of a dam rigged with explosives. Aimeé (Alan Ritchson), who we thought was an ally, turns out to be a double agent. The plane carrying the rest of the team gets shot down.
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It’s a bold move. It’s also incredibly frustrating if you aren't prepared for it.
The movie relies heavily on "death is a revolving door" tropes. Gisele (Gal Gadot) is back. Han is back. Even The Rock makes a cameo in the mid-credits scene as Luke Hobbs, despite his very public feud with Diesel. It feels like the franchise is desperate to assemble every single living actor who has ever been in a Fast movie for one final stand. It’s a victory lap that hasn't crossed the finish line yet.
The Budget vs. The Box Office
The numbers behind this movie are staggering. We're talking about a budget that ballooned to over $340 million. A lot of that went to the cast salaries. When you have four Oscar winners (Theron, Mirren, Larson, Moreno) in a movie about nitro-boosted Dodges, the payroll gets heavy.
Does the movie look like $340 million? In parts, yes. The location scouting is top-tier. But there are moments where the green screen is so obvious it’s distracting. It’s the paradox of modern blockbusters: the more money they spend, the more "fake" they can sometimes look. Yet, the fans don't seem to care. The movie still raked in over $700 million worldwide. It’s bulletproof.
What You Should Know Before Watching the Sequel
If you're planning on catching up or rewatching, you need to pay attention to the new characters. Brie Larson’s Tess (Mr. Nobody’s daughter) is clearly being set up as a major player. She brings a different energy—more "spy thriller" and less "street racer."
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Also, watch the relationship between Dom and Dante closely. Dante isn't just trying to kill Dom. He's trying to break his spirit. He wants to prove that "Family" is a weakness, not a strength. That thematic shift is the most sophisticated thing the writing team has attempted since the franchise pivoted to heist movies in 2011.
There are also some weird continuity bits. The movie forgets that Little B should probably be a bit older based on the timeline, but whatever. Time is a flat circle in the Fast-verse.
The real takeaway from Fast X is that the franchise has fully embraced its own absurdity. It’s no longer pretending to be a gritty drama. It’s a live-action cartoon with high stakes and higher property damage. And honestly? That’s okay. In a world of "serious" cinematic universes, there’s something refreshing about a movie that just wants to show you a car jumping out of a plane. Again.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Fast Experience
To truly appreciate where the story is going, you should revisit a few key pieces of the puzzle.
- Watch the 'Fast Five' opening again. It’s the literal foundation for everything Dante Reyes does in this film. Seeing the original bridge sequence makes his motivations feel a lot more grounded.
- Track the "Nobody" lineage. Between Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood), and Tess (Brie Larson), the Agency is the connective tissue of the plot. Their shifting loyalties are going to be the main focus of the next film.
- Pay attention to the tech. The "God's Eye" from the seventh movie is still the MacGuffin that everyone wants. Understanding who has access to it explains why certain characters are always ten steps ahead.
- Don't skip the credits. The mid-credits scene isn't just a teaser; it’s a massive shift in the franchise's real-world production politics. It signals the return of the series' biggest star and sets the stage for a showdown we thought we'd never see.
The road is getting shorter, but the engines are louder than ever. Whether you love the "Family" memes or genuinely enjoy the mechanical carnage, this movie is a mandatory stop on the way to the finish line. Just don't expect it to make sense on the first watch. Or the second. Just enjoy the ride.