“Fast & Furious 10 Review: The Chaos Continues with High-Octane Action and a Confusing Plot”

Film start: 17 May 2023
FAST & FURIOUS 10
Fast X  /  USA  /  2023
Director: Louis Leterrier
Mit: Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Michelle Rodriguez. Charlize Theron

It all started 22 years ago with a film about illegal street racing called Fast & Furious, and probably in 2001 no one would have dreamed in their wildest dreams that a Francaise would develop here obeying its own rules. If you are now with part 10 in the announced semifinals (part 11 there will be part 11, how it goes on, who knows?), then all sorts of things have developed on the level of action crackers at the steering wheel.

It’s true that every film of this genre worth its salt has some kind of car chase to offer, but with “Fast & Furious” it’s the gene structure of the strips, so to speak, which, by the way (this one too!) are so confusing that you can’t read them couldn’t and didn’t want to retell. The main thing is that Vin Diesel plays the leading role and the cars – yes, they roar off, the engines roar, the brakes squeak, the metal crunches, things fly through the air (and how people survive that defies all basic laws of physics and of logic). A tank explodes again and again, and the fire streams through the action. In the best scene of the film one has to fear that Rome will be reduced to rubble.

What’s the matter? First of all about family. At a barbecue party, “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel with a fairly unchanged imperturbable face, whatever happens) happy in the circle of his family, pathetic jokes are being made, the little son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) is already introduced to the mysteries of the car, Love-Interest Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is indispensable and apparently ageless and a few real old people too… But the best can’t live in peace if the bad neighbor doesn’t like it…

Movies of this kind need a villain, this time it’s the son of a drug lord who Dom once neutralized, and the Hawaiian Jason Momoa pulls out all the ironic stops as Dante Reyes – with greasy black long hair, a cynical smile, and a joyful desire for evil, as it should be when you don’t have to take anything seriously.

But you’re there because of the cars. As I said, the best scene takes place in wonderful overlength (the fact that the film itself takes 2.20 hours is less necessary) in Rome, what is there in the streets of the city (sometimes the Roman Forum, sometimes the Colosseum, sometimes the Vatican in the background) cannot be described in words, you have to see it. Then you wait a long time and in vain for things to continue like this, because only at the end is there anything remotely comparable again, cars are lifted up by helicopters and whirled through the air, there is a confrontation with the villain at a huge dam, in front of the fire fleeing through the air into the water… and then what? Totally unexpected end that isn’t one at all, leaves everything open and tells the cinema audience: Coming up, folks, there’s a sequel. If you still remember all the nonsense you saw here in two years…

Because apart from Dom and Dante appearing again and again, the story is pure chaos and runs on many levels, with far too many characters who get little to do. The little son will be with his uncle. Dom’s brother Jakob (John Cena) sent on a journey through America. Letty is speeding around Rome on a motorbike, but then gets arrested (usually the hero had to save her, but he doesn’t care about her at all!) and ends up (don’t ask how, you probably didn’t notice in the hustle and bustle) in Antarctica. There is then also Cipher (Charlize Theron), vaguely remembered from earlier films, and two women beating each other as brutally as men – do we want to see that? When Dom looks pensively at Rome, suddenly stands Helen Mirren next to him, (for only one obscure scene), once a door opens, Jason Statham comes out, plays a bit and disappears again.

As I said, no one bothered about a screenplay, director Louis Leterrier shot (with a high-level crew of action and stunt professionals) whatever he could get his hands on and someone cut it together.

Yes, and who is actually on the promised appearance of Dwayne Johnson waits, once a star of the series, then catapulted out after a row with Diesel, who has to hold out until the end credits so that his face appears on the screen for a second.

What the series can do is shown in the Rome sequence. Otherwise you are lost, be it in Rio, in London, on the coast of Portugal, in the perpetual ice or wherever. It doesn’t matter – fans get at least a hint of what they like to spend their money on and they can, unlike the normal visitor who doesn’t give a damn about the connections. the old and newly emerging figures are put together again. If you do the next part, it’s only because of the villain – he was really funny.

Renate Wagner