The Fate of the Furious is pure, cinematic entertainment; a perfect film for the big-screen experience, in case you were expecting anything less.
In The Fate of the Furious, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is forced to join the side of the evil cyber-villain Cypher (Charlize Theron), in a plot for world domination. It will push Toretto and his adopted family of elite thrill seeking criminals/heroes to their limits, as everyone’s left wandering what made Toretto turn, while trying to stop him from wreaking havoc on the world at the same time.
As far as plots go, it’s one of the most clichéd of the series so far, and that’s saying a lot after the seven films that came before it. It’s almost as if the filmmakers are playing the audience for fools at this stage, or are just simply happy to have any thoughtless plot as long as they have the opportunity to blow some stuff up and show off some epic set pieces. And who are we to complain really? If you can look past the film’s flaws, then you’re in for an outstanding time.
One thing that the Furious films have never failed to deliver since the first instalment back in 2001 is charismatic characters, and they’ve returned in droves here. Sure the lines are cheesy and the performances borderline B-grade level in some instances – but boy do we want these characters to succeed. The film raves on about family as one of its core themes, and anyone that’s been following these movies from the start may very well be made to feel part of this family by now. It’s a rare thing for a film series to pull you in that deep, and the Furious films, for all their ridiculousness have done just that. Respect.
Speaking of ridiculousness, The Fate of the Furious ramps it up even further than you’d expect on the action front, and it’s amazing. Not so much the effects and stunt choreography (which are great), but more so the feeling these set-pieces bring out of the viewer – a feeling of adrenaline pumping excitement. Director F. Gary Gray has managed to push the boundaries on the action, while maintaining an excellent balance between said action, comedy and drama in this film, keeping audiences engaged from start to finish.
Despite the average performances, corny script, and clichéd plot, The Fate of the Furious will likely still be more exciting as an overall package than a lot of other blockbusters released in 2017. You’d think after so many films the series might have gone stale, however with its great blend of innovative action, likeable characters and humour, the Fast and Furious film series feels fresher than ever.
Fun Fact:
The cast includes two Oscar winners: Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. This is the first film in the franchise to have Oscar winners in the cast.
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