Review – The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious is the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, which is an incredible feat.  Who would have thought a small budgeted, Point Break (1991) rehash about street racing would turn into one of the best action series ever put on film?  You would think at some point the series would run out of gas and turn in a bad movie.  But with The Fate of the Furious, the franchise is stronger than ever, turning out the best Fast film since Fast Five (2011).

In The Fate of the Furious, the crew, led by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), have all gone their separate ways since putting Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in prison in the last film.  But a mysterious women named Cipher (Charlize Theron) seduces Dom to join her diabolical, terrorist plan, he is forced to turn his back on the ones who mean the most to him.  It is then up to Hobbs (Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson’), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), with assistance from Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), his new protege (Scott Eastwood) and Deckard Shaw to track down Cipher while also trying to bring Dom back to the family.

The big mystery going into this movie is why Dom betrays the family and teams up with Cipher.  I wrote a piece about what I think could and should happen and, though I was wrong, the actual reasoning is perfect.  At first I was put-off by it, probably because it wasn’t what I initially wanted, but it grew on me.  I was fully invested in this part of the story, as it added a new level of stakes and darkness that has not been seen in these movies before.  It adds emotion, drama, and intensity, especially in one scene, where Cipher has Dom caught between a rock and a hard place after he doesn’t fully come through during a plan, that had my heart beating out of my chest and genuinely shocked me at the end of the scene.  This is an aspect the Fast franchise desperately needed.

Besides the new level of emotion and drama in the film, director F. Gary Gray made a Fast movie that, even after eight films, feels fresh and original.  He starts the movie off with a street race in Havana between Dom and a local high roller that is reminiscent of the first couple films, showing us that regardless of a casting change (R.I.P. Paul Walker) and a new director, this is a movie that is going to stay in the Fast and Furious roots.  Gray also gives us a number of spectacular action sequences.  See this movie on the biggest, loudest screen possible, because it will be a treat.  From the jailhouse brawl, to making it rain cars, to the submarine chase, Gray crafts some of the wildest, coolest action sequences we are bound to see in 2017.  Along with the thrills and explosiveness, Gray adds a great visual flare to these action scenes, elevating them to another level while also being wildly ridiculous like we are used to.

The cast is great, per usual.  Everyone knows their roles by heart and they all bring it.  I laughed at Gibson’s one-liners, was fascinated by Bridges and Emmanuel’s chemistry and computer wizardry, in awe of Johnson and Statham’s action chops and banter, and loved Theron as the ice cold Cipher.  She is in the running for best villain in the Fast franchise.  And Diesel actually gives a really good performance as well.  He isn’t just a mound of human clay mumbling his lines, he shows real emotion and real angst about turning on his team and working for Cipher.  This might be the best acted Fast movie.

With it’s never-ending intensity, exciting action, new-found drama, constant twists and turns, and surprisingly good acting, The Fate of the Furious is one of the best entries in the Fast and Furious franchise.  F. Gary Gray once again proves his talent as a director, creating a movie that fits perfectly within the series, yet can stand alone on its own.  This is the action film to beat in 2017.

MY RATING – 3.5/4

Did you see The Fate of the Furious?  What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.