Vin Diesel and the rest of the street-racing crew (with the exception of the late Paul Walker for obvious reasons) return for an eighth installment of two hours of car crashes, explosions, and over-the- top action set pieces. Like the previous entries of the popular franchise, this brisk action thriller is more about action and explosive special effects than character and plot development. As you expect from a movie dealing with non-stop car chases, this movie delivers just that. For those hoping for an action flick with a thoughtful story and firmly constructed character, this film will more than likely to be a diminishing disappointment. But for those who could care less about both aspects, this one is a whole lot of fun, if not without a few blemishes. And the new director behind this entry is F. Gary Gray who last spawned the biopic 'Straight Outta Compton'. This film follows Dominic Torretto (played by Vin Diesel) and Letty (played by Michelle Rodriguez) on their honey moon in Cuba. During their vacation, Dom is coaxed by a mysterious hot computer hacker Cipher (played by Charlize Theron) into joining her on a diabolical operation to steal an EMP weapon supplemented nuclear launch codes. With their once-loyal friend turning against them, Luke Hobbs (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) must reunite with the crew along with their former enemy Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham) to stop Cipher's heinous plan and solve the mystery behind Dom's betrayal.
This movie deliver just about everything fans would come to expect from a 'Fast and Furious' outing, from the bombastic car crashes, to the explosive street racing, to the close-up shots of scantily clad women (although the last one is a bit toned down). While the globe- trotting adventure shows little interest is constructing a powerful story or inspiring characters to feed off of, most of the cheers go to the street- racing scenes which exhibit our favorite characters engaging in frenetic, adrenaline-fueled car crashes that more often than not result in an excessive amount of property damage with cars blowing up and building torn with smithereens. Like the previous entries, this film shows no interest in obeying the laws of physics, or even engaging in authenticity. There's a brutal brawl in a prison, there are hundreds of cars dropped from buildings, there's a prolonged chase sequence on an icy field with Ryrese Gibson cruising across the ice on a car door, nearly every absurd stunt you can think makes it way on screen. As for the story, there is nothing special here aside from a few dark twists and surprises sprinkled along the way. Most of all characters we've come to know and love make their way back, and are charismatic as ever. Each of the cast take their stab at some humorous one-liners, particularly Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham when are two are bantering at each other. The performances are fine, but nothing that stands out especially if you have a hard time buying Charlize Theron as a computer hacking maniac with a sinister demeanor. At the end, the characters offer a predictable message about never turning your back on family, which has become a staple in the franchise after the countless times Vin Diesel's character preaches about family.
The Fate of The Furious is a loud, over-the-top action festival that is solidly entertaining for those willing to turn their brain off and enjoy the extravagant action material. While this installment doesn't quite add anything new to the franchise, it serves as a firm memo that the series still has energy in it's fuel tank.
