Movie Review: The Fate of the Furious

After the emotional seventh film I’ll admit I did not expect to see another Fast and Furious film, but I was actually happy I was wrong. I read an interview with Vin Diesel who said that Paul Walker (who died in a car accident halfway thru the production of seventh film) predicted that there would be at least an eighth film so The Fate of the Furious was for Paul; when I heard that my thoughts were “Ok that I can respect.” By coincidence when my family finished the seventh film, the trailer for this 2017 addition to the franchise dropped the next day. Like many others who watched the first trailer my reaction was (and this might be the most accurate and PG I can put it) “WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!?!?!” If anyone had doubts about how the filmmakers and cast were going to attempt to top the previous film, it got wiped away within the first minute of the trailer; the movie itself maybe not as much, but it was still a great watch. As always spoilers will be ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) are living the life in Havana, Cuba (with the occasional race) when Dom is approached by a mystery woman. A short time later Dom and Letty are contacted by DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) for a mission to steal an EMP device, reuniting them with Roman Pierce (Tyrese Gibson) Tej Parker (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). After the mission is complete Dom goes rogue and steals the EMP device for the mystery woman; making Hobbs crash his car where he gets arrested and taken to the same prison as Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). Dom’s family is angry and confused as to why Dom would betray them. Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) along with his protégé Eric Reisner (Scott Eastwood) who is called “Little Nobody” provides the team with the person who forced Dom to betray his family. The mystery woman is known as Cipher (Charlize Theron), a cyber terrorist who has been behind the scenes of the two previous films, including hiring Shaw’s brother Owen. The team, now including Shaw wanting revenge against Cipher, has to go against Dom and Cipher from stealing tech while the reason for Dom’s betrayal is revealed. Probably shouldn’t say anymore without spoiling the movie, but keep an eye out for old friends and Helen Mirren as well as a funny/weird scene with Statham (those who’ve seen the movie know EXACTLY I’m taking about.)

The trailer for The Fate of the Furious definitely set a bar for what many expected the movie to be. For me while I thought the film was pretty good it wasn’t as good as some of the other additions of the franchise; if I were to rank it might be in the middle. The cast was as good as they’ve been in previous films, if I may say this might be Diesel’s second best performance of the franchise (the seventh being his best in my opinion). Scott Eastwood is definitely a great new addition to the franchise; not only handsome but an interesting character. However I have to give two big shout-outs to (hopefully) two other new members of the Fast films. Helen Mirren (who went uncredited for her part) is a fantastic actress and I really hope she continues with the next film at least. Last but not least, Charlize Theron (another very talented actress) has been the best villain in the Fast franchise so far. Cipher doesn’t care what or who gets in her way she’ll either blackmail or blow you out of it; she can hack into cars and make them drive right into danger and someone might be in the car! I really hope Cipher continues at least into the next movie.

The action for the movie was downright terrifying. Everything for the beginning heist including the wrecking ball blowing into the bad guys, the car chase involving Cipher hacking and driving thousands of cars (regardless of the people in them) remotely to the climatic ice terrain as the end of the film involving a submarine had me on the edge of my seat and my jaw on the floor; in other words like the other Fast films just throw logic out the window. The writing and story itself are not as good as some of the previous films, but we did get the surprise of why Dom betrayed his family; I actually did not see it coming. I definitely enjoyed The Fate of the Furious and I am excited for the next two (three if you count the spin-off with Hobbs and Shaw) Fast films.

Movie Review: Furious 7

This 2015 addition might arguably be the best known Fast and Furious film for those who are not familiar with the franchise, and it was for a very sad reason. On November 30, 2013, Paul Walker died in a single car accident while the film was halfway through production. The cast and fans were devastated by his loss and the production was put on an indefinite hold. With the studio and the cast behind it the seventh film proceeded on in Walker’s memory. In my opinion it has definitely been the most heartfelt Fast film to date, and I do not believe it will be topped. As always spoilers will be ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has been trying to help his long-time love Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) regain her memories after the events of the previous film, but it has been difficult for her. While helping out his once again pregnant sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), friend Brian (Walker with stand-ins including brothers Caleb and Cody Walker after Paul’s death) and nephew Jack, Dom receives a phone-call from a man threatening his family before a bomb sent from Tokyo destroys the Toretto house. Discovering Han (Sung Kang) is dead and DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is in the hospital after a severe beating Dom gets the crew back together: Brian, Letty, Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) to go after the man revealed to be Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) brother of Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) who has sworn revenge for putting him in a coma. Dom and his crew are ready to fight off Shaw, but they need to do something first for a special ops unit. Headed by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) Dom and his crew agree to help the government obtain a computer program called God’s Eye (basically Big Brother) as well as the person behind it, a hacker named Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). However the mercenary that has her, Mose Jakanda (Djimon Hounsou) is not going to let her or God’s Eye go without a fight. With Deckard following close behind Dom and his crew are on their most dangerous adventure yet, which also includes an amazing fight between Letty and an Abu Dhabi security guard named Kara (Ronda Rousey). I cannot go more without spoiling the rest of the movie, but I promise this: there will not be a dry eye in the house the last few moments of the movies it pays tributes to Paul Walker.

I think the film was anticipated by many Fast and non-Fast fans because of how they were going to retire Walker’s character, and I thought how it happened was absolutely perfect; I can promise looking around the the theater people were crying from little tears to full blow sobbing. The movie itself could not have been better: the writing, action and characters were at their highest peak. The stunts done by either the cast or the cars were just mind boggling; in other words probably more than any other Fast film throw logic out the window (a car drives thru three buildings for crying out loud!) Jason Statham was perfect as Deckard Shaw; easily topping his brother in the previous film as the best bad guy in the Fast franchise until recently but that is for another day. I think this might be my favorite of the Fast franchise so far if anything for what the filmmakers and cast did for Paul Walker’s character and the actor himself. I might even call this film the must-see movie of the entire Fast franchise. While obviously you should watch at least five and six before this one Furious 7 will leave any action fan happy and anyone with a heart swelling with a smidgen of happy and sad. One last thing, do not forget to watch I Am Paul Walker on the Paramount Network airing tonight.