We have to talk about the laws of physics. Or rather, the complete and utter contempt Fast X has for them.
In one scene, Dom drives a Dodge Charger off a dam, catches it mid-air on a crane hook, swings like a pendulum, and lands on a moving spy plane. In another, he drives down the side of a dam wall at a 90-degree angle using… torque, apparently.
This isn’t a critique so much as a warning. If you hated the car-in-space scene in F9, you will scream at Fast X. If you love the absurdity, you will cheer.
The bigger issue is bloat. The runtime is 141 minutes, but it feels like four hours. The movie suffers from "Infinity War Syndrome"—there are so many characters (Brie Larson joins as a mysterious Mr. Nobody-esque agent) that no one gets enough screen time. Charlize Theron’s Cipher is reduced to a reluctant ally trapped in the back of a plane for most of the film.
The standout element of Fast X is undeniably Jason Momoa. While previous villains (Cipher, Brixton) were stoic or menacing, Momoa plays Dante as a "peacock with a knife." He wears pink nail polish, teases his curly hair, and giggles while committing mass murder. He describes his own motivation as "grief," but it manifests as theatrical chaos.
Momoa has stated in interviews that he avoided watching the previous Fast films to create something unique. The result is a villain who is genuinely unpredictable. One moment he is making out with a dead man’s glasses; the next, he is launching a bomb the size of a minivan. He elevates every scene he is in, injecting a sense of danger that the franchise has lacked since the fifth installment. Fast X
The narrative directly revisits the events of Fast Five (2011), considered by many fans the series' high point. In a flashback to Rio de Janeiro, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew—Brian O'Conner, Mia, and Vince—execute their legendary heist, dragging a massive bank vault through the city streets. During the chaos, they inadvertently cause the death of the wealthy and corrupt businessman Hernan Reyes, whose convoy they dismantle.
Twelve years later, Hernan’s son, Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), emerges from the shadows. Unlike his father, Dante is not a businessman but a calculating, flamboyant, and deeply unhinged agent of chaos. Having lost everything—his father, his fortune, and his identity—Dante has spent over a decade infiltrating global intelligence networks and amassing power. His goal is not just to kill Dom, but to systematically destroy everyone Dom loves, making him suffer the same agony of loss that Dante himself endured.
Dante launches his scheme by framing Dom for a bombing in Rome, turning the world’s governments against him. As Dom and his team, including Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Tej Parker (Ludacris), Han Lue (Sung Kang), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), become fugitives, they realize this enemy is unlike any they have faced. Dante is always three steps ahead, has seemingly infinite resources, and derives theatrical pleasure from every move. He forces Dom into a desperate race across the globe—from Rome to London, Portugal, and Antarctica—to protect his crew, his young son Brian (named in honor of Paul Walker’s character), and the extended family he has built.
If you watch Fast X looking for realistic car physics, you have missed the point. The action sequences are designed to make the Mission: Impossible series look like a nature documentary.
The film fully embraces its "superhero" status. Cars are no longer vehicles; they are weapons, grappling hooks, and parachutes. Director Louis Leterrier leans into the absurdity, creating a kinetic energy that keeps you laughing and gasping in equal measure. We have to talk about the laws of physics
Warning: Major spoilers for the end of Fast X.
Unlike previous entries where Dom and the family drive off into the sunset to eat barbecue, Fast X ends on a devastating cliffhanger.
In the fiery climax at the dam, Dom manages to save his son, Brian, from Dante. However, as a concrete spillway collapses, Dom is trapped in his Charger, surrounded by two massive reservoirs of water about to explode. He cannot drive out.
Simultaneously, his brother Jakob Toretto (John Cena) decides to sacrifice himself. Using a rocket-powered P1, Jakob rams a set of explosive tanks away from Dom, saving his brother's life but seemingly dying in a massive fireball. (This is likely permanent, as Cena’s schedule is tight, but in Fast franchise logic, no one is ever dead).
The final shot of the film sees Dom, trapped in the car, accelerating toward a massive wall of water. As the water crashes down and the screen cuts to black, we hear him say: "Dad, I need you. One last ride." The film fully embraces its "superhero" status
Post-Credits Scene: We cut to a covert facility. The camera reveals Hobbs (The Rock) doing pull-ups. He is told there is a new threat. Someone is building an army. Hobbs smirks and says, "Let them come." The screen flashes: "Fast X: Part 2" – Coming 2025.
If you watch Fast X for realistic car chases, you are two decades too late. The action sequences here are unhinged.
Director Louis Leterrier grounds the CGI mayhem with a slightly grittier camera style than Justin Lin, making the chaos feel just tangible enough.
Critics have largely hated Fast X (with a Rotten Tomatoes score hovering around 56%), citing "franchise fatigue" and a "bloated runtime" (2 hours and 21 minutes). Common criticisms include:
However, Audience scores are high (84% on Popcornmeter). Fans love the absurdity, the cameos, and the emotional weight of Cena’s sacrifice. For the target demographic—people who want to turn their brains off and watch cars fly—Fast X is a masterpiece.