The Fate Of The Furious

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a fun blockbuster that is only ever weakened when it takes itself too seriously. I would give The Fate Of The Furious a 7/10.

I remember a long time ago I refused to watch these films simply because I thought they'd be dumb and have little entertainment value for someone who doesn't like cars. However I've come to understand that the Fast and Furious films on a surface level really has a bit of range in how it presents itself; some of these movies are about racing, some are crime films, others are heists, spy films, vendettas, romance, comedy and drama. So while this franchise has been grappling with a range of genre conventions forever (with a varying amount of success) I feel it's great that these are movies that aren't afraid to take risks and do new things. I enjoyed this movie specifically because it didn't take itself too seriously and had fun with an over the top action blockbuster plot and did some interesting stuff with its characters. The Deckard and Hobbs rivalry really worked to the film's advantage, creating a chemistry that really worked out to be one of the most memorable parts of the whole film. The cinematography really grabs you, giant wide shots take in all parts of the chase sequences and the way flaming wrecks and explosions are caught rival a Michael Bay film. The special effects look very good, whether that be with the submarine scene at the end of the film or the horde of 'zombie' cars part way through. The film's score really sets things at a fast pace and add a shot of adrenaline to each of the action sequences; the soundtrack for this film is as good as past Fast and Furious features with the hip hop element especially making quite the impact.

Vin Diesel, who played Dom, brings out the charismatic protagonist with come to know and manages to show what would happen if that character went rogue on those closest to him; over the film Diesel brings Dom to several breaking points that are great to watch unfold. Dwayne Johnson, who played Hobbs, brings back his giant, tough wise-cracking soldier; Johnson's rivalry with Statham is one for the ages and beyond a doubt the best part of this film. Michelle Rodriguez, who played Letty, has always had such great chemistry with Diesel in these films and that carries through into this one; I really enjoyed how tortured Rodriguez got over Diesel's 'betrayal' in this film. Charlize Theron, who played Cipher, made for a highly interesting antagonist; the way she handled scenes to instantly make herself have all the control and power in that moment is fascinating to watch. Kurt Russell, who played Mr Nobody, brings back the laidback secret agent role we got in the seventh feature and he is just as good a second time round; the way Russell always manages to be the most comedic presence in any scene he's in is a real talent considering this cast and script. Luke Evans, who played Owen, is a brilliant cameo that I didn't see coming; the slight back and forth you get between Owen and Deckard is one of the things I've been anticipating the most over the course of this franchise. Scott Eastwood, who played Little Nobody, is a bit of an uptight government agent who really contrasts well against Russell's character; Eastwood's constant need to play by the rules and follow protocol makes him the butt of many jokes throughout the film which is a fun dynamic to see play out. Celestino Cornielle, who played Raldo, makes for a good street race rival to kick the film off with; his swagger and pride creates a good 'top dog' competitor for Diesel to come up against. Helen Mirren, who played Magdalene Shaw, was perfect to play the mother of Statham and Evans; I really enjoyed her sharp tongue and the scene in which she emotionally manipulated Statham into working with Evans.

However the best performance came from Jason Statham, who played Deckard. When we first see this character again for the first time he instantly has that real rogue persona, driving Johnson up the wall and dishing out as much smack talk in a scene as he can manage. Over the course of the film his outwardly hostile personality mellows down and you see the chemistry between him and Johnson grow to become fast friends. Statham really delivers a role who feels more lethal than just about anyone else on the cast list, so every time he's in an action scene you'll be focused on him. The plane scene near the end of the feature where Statham rather comedically rescues Diesel's bastard son is brilliant, it's probably the cutest thing to have ever happened in the Fast and Furious franchise and also easily one of the best scenes to come out of it too.

These movies are a lot of fun but when they take themselves too seriously you really get pulled right out of them; there are several moments over the course of this film where characters attempt to discuss rather big complicated themes in regards to the world as a whole or in relation to other characters. It doesn't work at all when the film tries to have some deeper meaning of itself, this is a franchise founded on back and forth comedic banter and car racing; very little else makes much impact. Furthermore it's a film that's really brimming with some moments that are hard to believe; I dislike how Elena is brought back as a bargaining chip from Dom's past when she was being hinted as being romantically involved with Johnson in the last film for instance. The ridiculous factor just keeps rising from there whether that be the 'zombie' car horde or the submarine sequence or even Dom managing to escape four or five grappling hooks holding his car in place. It's all well and good for a film to ask you to suspend your disbelief but the Fast and Furious franchise once again pushes the envelope a bit too far.

Tyrese Gibson, who played Roman, hasn't played a character in these movies for a couple years now; nowadays Gibson comes off as a screaming goofball who contributes nothing to these films. Ludacris, who played Tej Parker, speaks a lot of tech jargon but has quite a forgettable screen presence; I really don't like that his character only seems to be in this movie to solve plot holes. Nathalie Emmanuel, who played Ramsey, serves the exact same purpose as Ludacris in this film so you often find yourself wondering why they're both even in it; I dislike how the film decides to close Emmanuel's part out with Gibson and Ludacris competing for her because it has no relevance to anything else that's gone on in the feature. Elsa Pataky, who played Elena, really exits this franchise in the worst way possible; the sudden revelation that she had a kid with Dom feels very fabricated which is a shame because the film banks so much on that. Kristofer Hivju, who played Rhodes, was little more than a glorified henchman; Hivju seemed to stare down Diesel a lot but he never actually did anything that gave his character depth. Janmarco Santiago, who played Fernando, really comes out of nowhere at the start of this film; it's really not believable that he's Diesel's cousin and the pair have no chemistry with each other. Eden Estrella, who played Sam, gives Johnson the sad eyes a lot but the pair never really display a genuine father/daughter bond; add in that cringeworthy haka scene and this is a character these films could really have done without.