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Vin Diesel. © 2023 Universal Pictures, Original Film, One Race Films, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, and Perfect Storm Entertainment. Directed by Louis Leterrier.
Watched it in IMAX @ AMC Theaters
The End of the Road Begins It's 2023. Cinema is thriving, I graduated from my community college and transferred to a private college to finish my film degree, the Cannes Film Festival is happening, life is normal, and there's Fast X. Another Fast & the Furious film, couldn't get much better than this. This time, it's finally coming to an end...but there are two more movies left. However, this film definitely hits the mark in the franchise where the steam is almost over and I can't deny saying this but it was dumb action fun. Why now? Well, join me with the car crew and travel across the world while trying not to get killed by Aquaman himself. Story: Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they must confront the most lethal opponent they've ever faced. Fueled by revenge, a terrifying threat emerges from the shadows of the past to shatter Dom's world and destroy everything -- and everyone -- he loves. This franchise never stops doing their good old dumb action fun and I love that this film goes insane. However, it's not about all the action, it's about family. The cast ensemble is pretty good and there are more characters in this film than any other movie in the franchise. However, that's a good thing because it balances the characters and their acres well by not being too convoluted and sticking each character with one main centric goal throughout the film. Vin Diesel leading the crew as Dominic Toretto was solid but his character progression throughout the film is so uncanny. His presence seems relaxed yet awaiting something dangerous. He's the leader of the wolf pack for sure and his personality shines, but he does become a cartoon character sometimes. The other side characters are also good alongside the newcomers in the franchise. It's nice to see Brie Larson in another big franchise alongside rising new stars Daniela Melchior and Alan Ritchson in this blowing franchise. This time, the team is separated into different areas of the world and it makes the stakes more higher and entertaining. The biggest standout character in the film is Dante Reyes played by Jason Momoa. He is the big bad and he definitely is the big bad wolf of the franchise. He doesn't care if someone dies or does ruthless things to people. He's straight-up a villain with a motivation behind it. His performance is so wacky yet fun and great. His character personality really shines and whenever he pops on screen, I'm going to get a good scene of cinema. Besides the cast, the story is very simple to follow but there are interesting plot points that make this story much better than the last entry.
The plot isn't short but there are plot points that make the story more intense and the final act really made it more clear that this plot is going bigger. It's a messy plot for sure but I was following it along like it's a piece of cake. The action sequences are plain fun. I really like the Rome action sequence with the mix of practical and visual effects in play. The other action sequences are pretty entertaining and the laws of gravity and physics are out of the window at this point. It's very hilarious that even the fighting scenes are now unrealistic. Can't lie that I enjoyed the hell out of it. The production is pretty solid and I liked the placement of licensed songs in each scene. Overall, it's a trip of a film but there are problems that I found within the trip.
One of the main issues I encounter is the editing itself. Holy shit, it's so bad and over the top. There are a lot of continuity errors during the action scenes including during the dialogue scenes with the characters just talking. That is hilarious. I got so pissed off immediately that my friend who watched this film with me noticed the bad editing in the first half. I know it's a blockbuster studio film but please, it's too much for my eyes. The cinematography is pretty lacking in some scenes which is unfortunate. The plot is simple but there are too many plot holes within the script that makes the dialogue seem empty at some points. It's a soap opera with cars at this point. There are moments in the film where it shocked me but it made me question extensively why did it happen or what will happen next. Plus, there were unnecessary scenes including the fight scene within the lab that made no sense to the plot and it dragged out the runtime. However, I give props to the film by not making me bored and kept me entertained. It didn't feel long which is a good thing. However, it did add unnecessary time to make the drama more intense. The ending is questionable in a good and bad way. Without spoilers, the ending made me excited for the next entry but also made me worry about how plain this script is and the drama behind the scenes. The script could've used more work but was I entertained? Hell yeah. Would I watch it again? Maybe not. Still, I had a good time even with these problems. The heat of this franchise is about to close but this was still a good entry in the long-running franchise. As the 10th film in a series, it's not that bad but the problems are still lurking in the shadows and it's catching up very fast. However, the characters and action kept me entertained throughout the film and when the film wrapped, I wanted more. It's a fun dumb ride and it took me back to the good moments of Fast Five and I hope we actually get to finish this franchise for good. Plus, more Jason Momoa, please! Now Playing Only in Theaters in IMAX and Digital. Vizeit Score: "B-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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