It’s almost time to start your engines as the penultimate entry in the Fast & Furious saga, Fast X, is nearly here. Dominic Torreto (Vin Diesel) and his family are approaching the finish line in this long-running series which has since expanded far beyond its humble street racing origins and into a globe-trotting action epic with heart. Before the first part of the final chapter opens for these characters, critics and members of the media attended an early screening and shared their thoughts about the latest high-octane installment on social media.

Fast X may be the tenth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, though the seeds for the film were planted back in 2011’s Fast Five. Ever since Dom’s crew toppled Hernan Reyes’s drug empire and put an end to the kingpin, Reyes’ son Dante (Jason Momoa) has been biding his time, waiting to take everything from Dom as revenge for what he lost back then. He puts his plan into motion, scattering Dom’s family across the globe from sunny Los Angeles to the cold of Antarctica. Old enemies will come out of the woodwork to lay Dom and his family low, but the main issue is Dante who represents their greatest foe yet. Adaptive, cunning, and seemingly one step ahead at all times, he’s poised to be a memorable addition to the series especially as he trains his sights on his adversary’s eight-year-old son.
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Although so much of the focus of the promotional campaign has been on Momoa’s Dante, Fast X isn’t short on exciting new entrants to this all-star race. Brie Larson will join the fight as Tess, the daughter of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) and a staunch ally of the Torretto family as well as Rita Moreno as Dom’s grandmother along with The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior, Reacher’s Alan Ritchson, and the legendary Helen Mirren. They’ll join a core cast that has stuck together through thick and thin, including Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood.

Image via Universal

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What Do Critics Have to Say About Fast X?
It hasn’t been the smoothest road for Fast X to theaters. The film saw longtime series director Justin Lin depart following creative differences with Diesel, paving the way for French filmmaker Louis Leterrier to enter the driver’s seat not just for this installment, but for the series finale too. The track now seems firmly in place for the rest of the franchise, but what do critics think of Leterrier’s first turn behind the wheel?

Collider’s Steve Weintraub said that while the movie plays out as expected, it is Momoa that steals the show. Which is a sentiment echoed by Arezou Amin and Samantha Coley, who also highlighted Momoa.

Many critics singled out Momoa and his take on the film’s baddie Dante. Critic Simon Thompson said the film belonged to Momoa’s “decadent bad guy”:

Kit Stone similarly highlighted Momoa as a show stealer for his “peacockish villainy.”

Insider’s Kristen Acuna drew attention to the ending, saying it was the most shocking of the franchise, going so far as to call it potentially divisive.

Not everyone was feeling the adrenaline-fueled spirit, though, with iO9’s Germain Lussier saying the film was the worst of the series, while conceding that Momoa is “God-Level in it.”

And he wasn’t alone in that sentiment, as others called it “a mess and depressing” and Rafael Motamayor calling it a “huge disappointment” for the franchise. Griffin Schiller even called it the “worst blockbuster of its caliber.”

Fast X races into theaters on May 19. Check out the latest trailer below.