The Fate of the Furious

Good for me. Surprisingly good, because they probably realized that what they are about to serve to the viewers cannot be sold with a serious face. So they focused more on humor, wisecracks, and irony. And it works. The over-the-top action is interspersed with moments where it is evident that everyone on set is actually having quite a bit of fun. In this eighth installment, they can do whatever they want, so they openly disregard rules, laws of physics, or logic. Vin Diesel, F. Gary Gray, and the whole gang simply received a bunch of money and had a blast like five-year-old boys whose parents built them a race track for the first time and now they can play... maybe Fast and Furious. Yeah, it's nonsense, but this time so sincerely exaggerated that it's impossible not to enjoy. And Jason Statham confirms here that it's a pity Hollywood discovered his comedic talent too late. I had a good time. (16/05/2017)

Fantastically filmed hogwash which I find incredibly entertaining. Great effects give even the most bizarre scenes a feeling of reality. Despite all of the crazy shit going down, the screenwriter manages to keep the story within firmly set bounds, and his imagination is admirable. Rock and Statham are delightful both with their cool lines and their friendly mockery of each other. Diesel is just classic. He made this movie for fun, earning some money at the same time. (22/04/2017)

Being the screenwriter of a billion-dollar franchise must be a bitch. Sniffing cocaine out of the asses of L.A.'s top prostitutes and knowing that no matter how much shit you do on paper, you'll get away with it and someone will actually film it eventually. Don't be fooled by the perfect production glitz because this is Hollywood sludge that lacks even a shred of judgment. I don't mind the overblown action orgy, where stuntmen go all out and everything is tuned by special effects artists who were paid handsomely for their overtime. It bothers me that it flies around the world without anchoring itself in the plot, that so many Deus ex machina enter the plot, and that even the zombie is supposed to be excused by the fact that family is the most important thing. It’s overpriced kitsch that does not caricature the trend set by the fifth film in the series but instead degrades it. (18/07/2017)

The more obvious the complexity of the plot twists in which the gang has been throwing itself five installments in a row, the greater my excitement for the resulting film. Just a while ago, I was worried that there was nowhere to go, nowhere to build expectations, and nowhere for the characters to go. However, for a long time now, I have seen that none of this is necessary. Vin Diesel, from the position of the main face, incorporates all conceivable fan wishes into the scripts, including the dream (and surprisingly perfect) portrayal of the main antagonist. In the slower passages, he murmurs several phrases on the theme of "My Family" with an incomprehensible bass voice, and at the same time, he manages to come up with a surprise that no one expects (this time it is that stealer of scenes, Jason Statham). Various criticisms of physics or logic have never been more pointless. This saga operates in its own universe, and I will be happy if it continues at similar two-year intervals for a long time. (18/05/2017)

Before the screening I was sure of five stars in the end it's only a very strong four. This series more or less started to entertain me only from the 5th episode, since the previous episodes were only about racing and I don't like that much. Now it's turned into something that absolutely disregards physics, gravity and logic and a lot of people can't stomach it, but if it wasn't for that, I'd never see what this franchise shows in a movie because no other movie could afford to do that and I'm grateful to this franchise for that. There are a lot of great actors, great modern music, pretty women, fast cars, the money is damn evident in every frame, for me as a modern young person it's very enjoyable to watch and I have a great time. Tyrese Gibson brings me to my knees with his wit, Jason Statham is a decent second, although in my opinion he was much funnier in Spy, still these roles suit him and I would definitely only give him action comedies in the future, rather than the B-movie actioners that a lot of others are making. The biggest highlights of this episode are the car hacking, which again is something not seen anywhere else, and the 20 minute finale with the submarine, torpedoes and monstrous explosions which is breathtaking. What's a downside, and the reason I'm not giving full marks, is that the fights have been significantly reduced, there's really only a stylish jailbreak and Statham's excellent baby dance, that's the end of the fights and there's no shooting, which was a bit more frustrating than disappointing. I liked the previous episodes a bit more, I find the eighth returns more to the old ways i.e. the racing which I don't welcome too warmly. Charlize Theron as a baddie is great, too bad there wasn't a female lead. Still, it must be seen in the cinema and I'll definitely watch the film again. 80%. (15/04/2017)