Straight up, this is a 2/10. If you want to know why I’ve given it this rating please read on. If not, save yourself some time – much like the film you could probably be doing something better. The Fate of the Furious, the racing franchise that won’t die is onto its eighth iteration and it doesn’t look to be slowing down yet.
Important to mention too, I love the first few of these movies. The vibe, comradery and action sequences were cool and unique and the concept was mildly original, despite being peppered with clichés. But I can say with full confidence this series has lost its mojo about three films ago. The tragic death of Paul Walker a few years back sparked a lot of interest in the previous film and they handled his loss with class. This current instalment takes a dump on the legacy of the F&F story and I fear based off current box office takings this is far from the last ride.
I’d like to just rattle off everything wrong with this film. Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) is so clearly a producer on this. He is the strongest, the most respected, has the fastest car and every woman wants him. The Rock is literally the Hulk and has superhuman powers. The ‘team’ with Ludacris, Tyrese and co. has adolescent level conversations and rapport and they are only tools for comic relief or furthering the plot. Jason Statham literally kills Han, one of their ‘team’ in the last movie, yet now he’s besties with them… why? Charlize Theron is written in as a villain but doesn’t really do anything and her motivations are confusing.
The general catalyst of the film is weak and comes out of nowhere. The action scenes are clunky and were only made so the trailer could look cool or because the screenwriter really wanted a submarine in it. Also, since when were seven car racers and thieves suddenly covert operatives literally saving the world from a global war? Yet it still feels like nothing is at stake because the ‘team’ is indestructible and their cars are basically speeding tanks, which they acquire from some bottomless bank account. So many more questions than answers on this one and I could rant for hours about it.
The two points I’ve given this movie were for the way they tricked the audience with how Dom is extorted into turning bad, into black singlet Dom rather than white. It was a genuine twist that wasn’t spoiled in the ‘see all’ trailer.
I don’t know what I expected. Hoping for something so bad it’s good like Kong or Power Rangers, but this is pure bad, a total nonsensical waste of two hours. The words on this paper can’t exemplify how disappointing it was but there are a few four-letter words that would aptly describe the general feeling of the room when the credits rolled.
Rating: 2/10
