Fast Times

We finally watched Fast X (2023) mainly so we could listen to the How Did This Get Made podcast. I'd say it was worthwhile.

In this outing, the team gets a call - they need to hijack a computer chip in Rome. Dom (Diesel) and Letty (Rodriguez) stay at home with Dom's now 9-year old son, Little B. Meanwhile, Charlize Theron has her secret lair broken into. Jason Momoa is holding hostage a loved one for each of her henchmen, so she barely gets away. She runs to Dom and tells him that Momoa is out for revenge. He was the son of the Brazilian guy who's bank vault got dragged around Rio.

Also, Dom finds out from Brie Larson that there is no Rome mission, it was a trap. Indeed, when the team gets on the truck that's supposed to have the chip, they find a one-ton bomb instead. Momoa watches from a bell tower as the round ball rolls through the streets of Rome like a pinball. When Dom appears in his muscle car, he manages to get it to go off in the Tiber, not the Vatican, so only dozens are killed and not the Pope. Still, he does become a wanted man.

Let's see, Letty gets sent to prison. The house is attacked, and Little B hides beside the toilet - this is not a good plan. Don't they have an escape room or anything? Anyway, uncle John Cena shows up to take him to safety. Remember, he was the big bad a few movies ago. Now he's a goofball uncle.

Ok, after that - whew. a lot of stuff happens. Almost everyone who's ever been in an F&F movie is back, or their heirs. There's a lot going on, but in the end -SPOILER- there's a cliffhanger. There's one or two movies to left in the saga.

The new director, Louis Leterrier, wanted to make this a more grounded version of the series. He didn't send anyone to space, but other than that, I don't know if he succeeded. What I think did succeed was Momoa - he pays a flamboyantly fruity villain, with sort of a Capt. Jack Sparrow look. The scene that sums it all up is Momoa sitting in his backyard with two corpses - people he's killed recently, I guess. He is painting their nails while chatting with them about his plans. He finishes up and tells them to help themselves to margaritas, and someone will be along to bury them in while. He's having so much fun. It'll be interesting when he becomes part of Dom's family in the last movie.

Did I mention that Theron is locked up with Lettie, and breaks her out? They are strapped to operating tables (I forget why), and Theron reachs a long finger down to the touch screen, hacks it blind, releases them and sends knockout gas to the guard room. Why do they even have that button?!?

Anyway, the movie is fun, but the How Did This Get Made podcast is a blast. The guests are Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. Everyone loved the movie, and hw insane it was. Hard agree.