Fast X

     

       Family. Remember that word. This latest installment in the "Fast & Furious" franchise is so packed with action sequences that it becomes mind-numbing and you forget there is a story buried in there somewhere. But every fifteen minutes or so, the screenwriters will remind you. Family. It's all about family.

      By this chapter, I think fans have come to realize it's about family but for anybody new to the series and drawn in by the trailer, the filmmakers want to make sure you understand that. It's about family. Did I mention that?

      As the 10th installment, writer Justin Lin and his co-writers Dan Mazeau and Zach Dean pull their plot together from every other film in the franchise. They overstuff the story with even more impossible stunts and appearances (in one way or another) of every actor who has ever appeared in the franchise.

      Vin Diesel returns as Dom Toretto along with all the other characters fans know so well. Jason Momoa is the villain seeking revenge against Dom and his family. Oh yeah, it's about family. While Mr. Diesel seems to never age, the same can be said for the rest of his team but their "schtick" is getting old. Mr. Momoa, on the other hand, breathes fresh life in his role as a gleefully psychotic villain.

       The action is pretty much non-stop and the story takes us around the globe with stops in Rome, Portugal, Rio, Los Angeles, and even a surprise location. There is a cameo by a comic that many will enjoy. Personally, I don't get the appeal.

       Most fans are aware but I must warn others that this is the first of a two or even three part finale to the series, so don't expect a tidy resolution at the end.