April 17, 2017 · Watch the official trailer
There’s a street race to open “Fate of the Furious” that sees Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto put his ride on the line against a Cuban crime lord.
It’s the only true element of the original “Fast and the Furious” film left in the franchise as the series evolved out of its urban drag racing beginnings into a series of heist movies.
Now in its eighth iteration, the franchise moves beyond crime capers into full-fledged espionage films with “Fate of the Furious,” a high-octane thriller that rarely lets off the gas for more than a scene or two.
Renegade outlaw Toretto relinquishes his “family first” code of honor and betrays his team to work with elite cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), a master manipulator with eyes on a nuclear arsenal. When Toretto goes rogue, his old crew is brought in to team with a group of unlikely allies to bring Cipher down.
“Fate of the Furious” isn’t about the acting; it’s about action, more action and then some more action. Director F. Gary Gray’s film moves at a rapid fire pace that keeps the audience engaged and not worrying about all that character development that isn’t happening on screen.
The better part of Diesel’s career has been Toretto, a character so ingrained in the actor’s subconscious that he can’t stop playing his “Fast and Furious” part in movies outside the franchise. His passion for the series – combined with his love for his friend and co-star, the late Paul Walker – bring an added sense of energy and commitment to the performance that feels relatable despite the Sylvester Stallone-esque meathead persona Diesel replicates.
Increased roles for both Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham pay enormous dividends in “Fate of the Furious” as the duo are able to carry the bulk of the heavy lifting outside the driver’s seat. The verbal jousting between Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Statham’s Deckard Shaw plays a terrific undercard to the film and sets up a prison break sequence that proves to be the movie’s biggest highlight.
If there is a real shortcoming in this thrill-seeking adventure, Oscar winner Theron emerges as the weak link with a bland, uninspired performance that belies her true talent. Terrible dreadlock haircut aside, Theron proved more than capable of handling herself physically in “Mad Max: Fury Road” and to leave her character hiding behind muscle and aimlessly ranting like a Roger Moore-era Bond villain feels wasteful.
Best known for his critically-acclaimed biopic “Straight Outta Compton,” Gray shows off his excellent directing skills in “Fate of the Furious,” leaning heavily on quality action thrills from his background helming “The Italian Job” and “The Negotiator” while maintaining a consistent tone from start to finish.
In a series known for its fast cars and wild stunts, the hits keep on coming in “Fate of the Furious” with increasingly outlandish and yet totally enjoyable action sequences mixing vehicular insanity with terrifically choreographed hand-to-hand combat. The film constantly seeks to top itself on a scene-to-scene basis and often hits the mark.
First-time viewers unfamiliar with the “Fast and Furious” franchise shouldn’t have a hard time picking up the basics amid all the explosions and high-speed chase sequences. Enough of “Fate of the Furious” is self-contained or explained through context that watching all seven prior installments of the series would be necessary before heading to the theaters.
Audiences will be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable evening at the movies over the next couple of weeks than “Fate of the Furious,” which should rule the box office for the rest of April until Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” shatters records in early May.
Buckle up for the ride as this eighth “Fast and Furious” movie will leave viewers strapped to their seats with quality popcorn entertainment typically found much later in the summer. Turn off your brain and enjoy; “Fate of the Furious” is an absolute treat to watch.
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