The Fate of the Furious

Introduction

In the year 2013 the world was shocked by the tragic death of actor Paul Walker, myself included. I remember it vividly, like it was yesterday. It is strange that with events like those, you still remember what you were doing at the time. I had just finished eating breakfast and put on the television to check the news, and then I read it: Paul Walker killed in car accident. I literally screamed out loud at the television screen. I was shocked and devastated that such a young and promising actor was killed in such a way. The filming of part 7 of the franchise he was so well known for, the Fast and the Furious, was already well under way.

The way they eventually dealt with his death was done in a very respectful way. And now, this year we have the release of part 8, where we get to see how the franchise will continue without Paul.

So….you think you are tough huh?

The Fast & Furious 8 starts off in Cuba where Dom is enjoying his honeymoon together with his girl Letty. All seems well for a change, but as usual this is very shortlived. Dom gets a call from his old buddy Hobbs to help steal a device, that in the wrong hands could end up hurting a lot of people. It is not long before the team gets put back together and the heist begins. However, just when they make their escape, a very unexpected thing happens: Dom betrays everyone, and ends up with the device firmly in his possession. Later Dom is seen together with a mysterious woman who has very sinister plans. This is the beginning of a test to see just how strong the bonds of family really are….

Is it cold in here or what?

While I am writing this, there are already reports that this movie has made a record world wide opening of $532.5 million dollars. If that isn’t crazy, I don’t know what is. I don’t think anyone would have predicted this when part 1 was released way back in 2001. But is part 8 a worthy addition to the franchise? Well…yes and no. Let us start with the good stuff first. One thing this franchise has always been good at, is action, and on that front the movie does not disappoint. There are some absolutely crazy action scenes in this one, and as usual they are completely over the top and unrealistic. But it really is hard not to smile when a bunch of cars on an icefield get followed by a huge submarine, just to describe a scene.

Yup…..that really is a sub.

The story, which ofcourse is always put in second place in movies such as these, was this time around given some more layers. It seems that this year we get a new trend that good characters seem to turn to the dark side. Even though the movie had plenty of action, there were still a few scenes that were only dialogue driven. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but with this being the longest Fast and the Furious to date I felt it would have been better that a few of those scenes were cut. The movie did feel too long in the end.

What are you looking at?

One of the best things in this movie was definitely actress Charlize Theron in her role as the villain Cypher. I would even go so far as to say that she was the most interesting villain from the entire franchise. Other high marks must go to Jason Statham, who has some of the coolest scenes in the movie. The rest of the cast were fine, but occasionally it deed feel as if they were all acting on autopilot. And that was a recurring theme in this movie. Yes it was a lot of fun, and I really did enjoy it enough to warrant the price for the ticket. But I did feel that this time around there was just something missing. Maybe it’s just that it doesn’t feel as fresh anymore as all the previous installments. With a part 9 and 10 already confirmed, one has to wonder where they are going next and if too much of a good thing is….well…too much.

I think after this I need to make a pitstop.

However this was still a, if you pardon the pun, fun ride all around. Even though Paul Walker’s presence is definitely missed, Fast 8 delivers enough thrills and fun to make a trip to the cinema worth your time. With a lot of great and spectacular action sequences, comedic banter and a great villain, The Fast and the Furious has not yet run out of fuel. One has to wonder though how long it will be until they are going to run on empty….

I give the Fast and the Furious 8 a 9 out of 10 score.