NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Fast and Furious franchise has gone through numerous changes since its arrival in 2001. Actors leaving, showing back up, and storylines that make no sense. Needless to say, this franchise has been through it all. With the new installment, Fast X, we should expect some of the same but hopefully with a twist.
What I mean by twist is not Brian, Elena, or Gisele popping onscreen but a true story to follow. From the original, Fast and Furious was supposed to be about cars and the drivers. But somewhere along the way, everything changed. It became more about out-of-this-world stunts and how far or crazy the directors were willing to go.
Remember when Brian was an agent and had to infiltrate Dom’s circle.? He fell in love with Mia and despite revealing who he was, he was still accepted. The same with his relationship with Dom and the rest of the crew. As the franchise would grow, so would members of the team. It was to the point that the stories would intertwine but also be forgotten to a certain degree. The intrigue of the original was what would happen to Dom after Brian let him escape. While it took a few movies to answer that question, that was the storytelling that drew fans in.
It was also the lack of storytelling that had fans upset. Around the time of Fast and Furious 6, things became a bit whacky. The car chases on the streets of LA became scenes where cars were trying to outrun tanks on foreign soil. The crew went from robbing 18-wheelers to breaking into Police Stations and dragging heavy-ass safes on the highway. And how can we forget the jumping out of cars as it goes off a cliff or being swung around by helicopters and planes and still finding time to chase a damn submarine.
Can Fast X Bring Back The Original Storyline
If that wasn’t crazy enough, now we have characters arising from the dead from car explosions, being shot, and if the rumors are true, Gisele is returning after falling from an airplane with no parachute or anything to break her fall. How is this even possible? And then there is the wildest of them all. Somewhere, someone had the bright idea to take the franchise to space. Yes, outer space of all places. They traveled to space in a damn car. It was at that moment, I knew the franchise was dying and was in need of some new blood.
It appears that with Fast X, we may have solved this issue. Dom has a brother that we were introduced to in F9. He’s back and appears to be on the good side now. Letty seems to have most of her memory restored and she and Dom are off raising a family. The storyline aspect of the franchise is still there, it’s just hidden under a bunch of rubble. Jason Momoa is the new baddie and there was even a clip with Cipher going toe-to-toe with Letty. But still, it’s the storytelling that we’re all waiting for.
Per more rumors, many are saying that Brie Larson could possibly be playing the role of Brian O’Conners’s sister. If that’s true, then Fast X is paying homage to the original movies which is essential. And also, what’s the deal with Brian? We know that Paul Walker is dead so bringing Brian back can’t happen but we do need an end to his storyline as well. With 2 more movies left, how will they end his arc?
All in all, the franchise has had continued success but it was getting stake. Fast X has a chance to right the ship. The main crew is mainly still intact and that right there is a testament to their staying power. But for the love of God, can we please get back to the storytelling that made the fast and furious franchise so interesting in the first place?
