Fast X Reveals Its Rating And It Includes Intense Violence
Fast X has received a PG-13 rating for, among other things, "intense violence."
The Fast & Furious saga is racing to the end, and the finale is going to be intense. Set for a May 19 release in the United States, Fast X is the first part of the franchise’s two-part final chapter. According to CBR, the Motion Picture Association has officially rated the Vin Diesel showdown with Jason Momoa PG-13 for “for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some suggestive material.”
The PG-13 rating is nothing new for the franchise. Parents and guardians of pre-teens have been warned by the rating for all 11 of the series’ entries, including the spin-of Hobbs & Shaw. Action and violence may be the marquee reasons for Fast X earning the PG-13 rating, but over the franchise’s history, reasons for the rating have varied.
“Action” took a backseat to the “street racing,” “drug references,” and “reckless and illegal behavior involving teens” warnings that defined the franchise’s earlier entries. As the series progressed, its action sequences took the wheel. Fast 7 boasted “prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action and mayhem.”
Fast X is carrying on the action-forward tradition of the latter half of the franchise. The film will feature Diesel leading the legacy cast, along with franchise newcomer Brie Larson, to take on the greatest threat the self-proclaimed family of racers has ever faced: Jason Momoa, who plays Dante, the son of a drug lord that Vin Diesel and the gang took down in Fast Five.
But Momoa’s character is far from the only obstacle the action-packed film had to overcome to drift into theaters. Behind the scenes drama led to director Justin Lin leaving Fast X behind early during its production. He was eventually replaced by Louis Leterrier, but the gap left Charlize Theron and Michelle Rodriguez to direct their own epic fight scene.
There was also a considerable effort to get franchise alum Dwayne Johnson back for Fast X. Johnson has infamous beef with Vin Diesel and refused to return. Amid all the shifts, the film’s budget quickly careened out of control, reaching a massive $340 million.
On top of it all, Jason Momoa came under fire for taking photos the Sistine Chapel with fans while he was in the area shooting Fast X. Many found the move by the actor offensive. He later issued a thorough apology.
Despite several speed bumps, Fast X will finally cross the finish line in May. The film promises more of the same over-the-top action set pieces that have come to be expected from the franchise, while raising the story’s personal stakes as Vin Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto, must save his son from the clutches of Momoa’s villainous Dante.
Fast X is written by Justin Lin and franchise newbie Dan Mazeau, based on characters created by the writer of the original The Fast and the Furious, Gary Scott Thompson. Its replacement director, Louis Leterrier, is best known for Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, and his work on The Transporter; he will reunite with the star of the latter, Jason Statham, for Fast X.
The Fast Saga has been cruising along since 2001. Fast X is part one of the conclusion of the Vin Diesel series, and May will also bring the end of another of Diesel’s franchises with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He will continue on in familiar roles with new Riddick and xXx films.
