First Take: Fast X - the end of the road isn’t the end of the road… yet. (We think.)

SYNOPSIS: Dom Toretto and his family are targeted by the vengeful son of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes.

20 years into this franchise, and Vin Diesel’s motorhead family show no sign of slowing down - with another TWO films in the pipeline if reports are to be believed, does this latest mainline instalment to the Fast saga, dubbed as the end of the story, have the goods? It’s a mixed bag unfortunately.

Louis Leterrier takes up direction duties, replacing long-time Fast director Justin Lin (who infamously walked from this film a week into the shoot, citing the usual ‘creative differences’), and as much as he has helmed big action setpieces like the ones seen in the last 5 films in particular, there is a lot of dead weight - partly because it has to set up a much wider story that we’ll only get the payoff to in 3, potentially 4 years in parts 2 and 3 - clocking in at 2 hours 21 minutes, it is paced fairly well with enough time to let audiences settle down after the madness that Lin (who retains writers’ credit despite his early exit) and Dan Mazeau have written to start tying up 11 films worth of storylines, even if it is a little far fetched at points. Brian Tyler’s score also continues the same style that’s carried across the series so far, and Stephen F. Windon’s cinematography is built for the big screen, even if the CGI put over it can be a bit unnerving at moments.

As for the cast, it’s exactly what you’d expect. The core family of Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Jordana Brewster and Nathalie Emmanuel are all present and correct, with John Cena, Helen Mirren, Jason Statham returning alongside the additions of Brie Larson and Jason Momoa, who plays a very convincing villain considering what he’s best known for And then there’s Vin Diesel. He’s become as committed to this franchise as Daniel Craig did towards Bond in his later years - but there comes a point where the legacy of a franchise either lives or dies with the level of control its leading talent has on its future. With what has been reported about the production of this film, as much as he’s done an admirable job as Dom across these movies, including as the emotional core of this latest entry into the saga, it feels like it’s time for the family to move on. The formula of these films is ageing, much like some of the racing sequences - yes, remember them?

THE VERDICT

For a Hollywood blockbuster, this is what audiences want. It’s opened strongly here in England, it is playing strongly regardless of the reviews, but for the love of all things holy, does a three part finale to the series feel justified? Probably not. While it may be a mess and far from the best entry to the Fast saga, mercifully we are on the home straight.

RATING: 2.5/5