Fast X, the latest installment in the franchise, is a sequel to Fast Five. I opened my review of the movie explaining how it reminds viewers “when Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), and the crew stole the safe belonging to drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaqium de Almeida) and dragged it through the streets of Brazil. But now as those scenes play out, Hernan’s son Dante (Jason Momoa) has been inserted into the story. After the death of his father, Dante swears revenge against Dom and all involved with him.”
Director Louis Leterrier leads viewers through four storylines as our heroes and villains trot around the globe chasing each other: “Dom pursuing Dante, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) in prison with Cipher (Charlize Theron), Roman’s (Tyrese Gibson) crew in London, and Jacob (John Cena) and [Dom’s son] L. B. (Leo Abelo Perry) heading to a safehouse in Portugal. Fast X runs long, 141 minutes, due to such a massive cast all getting moments to shine[, including familiar faces from previous Fast movies]. In between the action, the exposition scenes drag.”
The Blu-ray has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer displayed at its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The colors shine in strong hues across the spectrum. The reds and oranges in fire are especially vibrant. Blacks are inky and whites are accurate, anchoring a strong contrast. Depth and fine texture details are apparent. The only drawback is some of the CGI settings don’t look authentic, like when Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) is driving through Rome.
The Dolby Atmos audio track defaults to 7.1. Dialogue is clear. The effects create an immersive audio experience. Objects are positioned throughout the surround system and move across channels to place the viewer within the action. The subwoofer provides thunderous bass support for the action and the music.
The Bonus Features, which are available to Play-All, are:
- This Is Family (35 min) – A multi-part behind the scenes look at the making of the movie.
- Fast Breaks: Scene Breakdowns with Louis Leterrier (8 min) – The director shows viewers how action sequenees were executed, two in Rome and the race in Rio.
- Xtreme Rides of Fast X (13 min) – Up-close look at the vehicles and how they were designed.
- Belles of the Brawl (7 min) – Theron, Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, and Brie Larsen talk about their fight scenes.
- Tuned into Rio (5 min) – The movie goes back to its racing roots for the Rio sequence.
- Jason Momoa: Conquering Rome (3 min) – The new kid in town talks about his approach in joining the franchise, including doing his own stunts.
- Little B Takes the Wheel (3 min) – Perry gets his own brief featurette.
- A Friend in the End (1 min) – A Fast movie is never over until its over and you never know who is going to show up.
- Music Videos (6 Min) – “Toretto” by J Balvin And “Angel Pt. 1” by Kodak Black & Nle Choppa (Featuring Jimin of BTS, Jvke & Muni Long)
- Feature Commentary with Director Louis Leterrier
- Gag Reel (5 min)
Although Momoa’s performance as the flamboyantly silly Dante and the byzantine screenplay by Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin are disappointing, “Fast X delivers numerous fights scenes, over-the-top driving sequences, comedic moments, and speeches about ‘family’ that fans of the brand enjoy and have come to expect.” The high-definition presentation highlights the state-of-the-art action scenes and the work of the crew. Fast fans should enjoy the behind-the-scenes bonus material.
