The Fate of the Furious English Movie
If there was a list for the most unnecessary sequels of all time, The Fate of the Furious would be a serious contender to top the list. The eighth part of the franchise is its most ineffective, insignificant and inept member which does not deserve to be called anything more than an expensive potboiler.
After Paul Walker's tragic demise, everyone was looking forward to the path that the franchise would take, as it was in no mood to call it quits. Roping in acclaimed director F Gary Gray, who was fresh off the success of the Oscar-nominated Straight Outta Compton(2015), also looked like a masterstroke. The filmmaker had already proven his mettle with the 2003 remake of The Italian Job; a film that shares its DNA with the street-racing fun of The Fast and the Furious films. Alas, even Gary Gray is not good enough to stop the series' nosedive into uncharted depths of dumbness.
The Fate of the Furious has an all-star principal cast, boasting the presence of such serious actors as Charlize Theron and Kurt Russell, experienced entertainers Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez and Ludacris, and up and comers Scott Eastwood and Nathalie Emmanuel. Barring Statham and, to an extent, Gibson, none of the actors make themselves count. Sometimes, we even feel their supercars have more personality than them. Theron plays a more than capable villain, Cipher, who along with the rest of the performers, unfortunately has too many poor lines to deliver. However, her infectious eyes and deceiving demeanour make her slightly better than the previous villains in the series.
The Fate of the Furious hits rock bottom when the erstwhile reckless street-racing family grows into the saviours of the "goddamn world"- in Hobbs' word- to protect it from nuclear threats, of all things. It would not be a stretch to expect the racers to save us from extra-terrestrial beings next time around. These are virtually superheroes who are just too humble to wear fancy suits. They push the laws of physics with their cars (and tanks) and violate character logics when they feel like it. The film even manages to humiliate the Russian military and joins the collection of Hollywood films which show Russia in a bad light.
The Fate of the Furious is high on head-spinning action sequences which are so hastily edited, they are mighty hard to follow. It will delight its hardcore fans with some bonkers set-pieces and surprise cameos. But, the rest of the world is sure to roll its eyes on the frivolous drama that unfolds.
MOVIE REVIEWS