Review of The Fate of the Furious (2017) by John M — 11 Jun 2017

The importance of family. So a mysterious woman (Charlize Theron) cuts Dom's (Vin Diesel) honeymoon short. She shows him a tablet and says that he works for her now, and she has the acquisition of nuclear weaponry at the top of her to do list.

The only ones that has the remotest chance of stopping her is Dom's crew, but how do their chances stand when Dom is working against them? At this point in the series, you're either with it or you're not.

These aren't the street racing movies of 16 years ago. These are movies that have not only jumped the shark, but they have left it so far in the rearview, it is but a speck on an ocean of spectacle and absurdity.

You're either going to be able to figure out how to make sense of the ridiculous showmanship that is unfolding in front you in your brain , or you're going to walk out, it's that simple. I personally love this franchise, and that hasn't stopped yet.

Now what you do have to realize if you have not been keeping up with this series is that these characters are essentially superheroes at this point. They are larger than life and almost entirely invulnerable.

Even if you die in the story, there is still a chance that you can be written back in, the only way you can be 100% out is if you die in real life (R.I.P. Paul). Because they have super abilities in their driving skills, this has the tendency to come off a little on the cartoony side.

I'm actually okay with this for a few different reasons, namely because it is so thrilling and also because they have been consistent in tone ever since the fifth movie. There is one thing that this series has always been successful at is the larger than life spectacle.

The set pieces always bring it, and I am always surprised that they keep finding new and creative things to do with vehicles. When they are not doing that, they are having an over the top parkour prison break scene.

I'm still making up my mind on if this is ridiculously entertaining or entertainingly ridiculous, and I honestly don't know what is going to come next. To up the ante, they're going to have to make them go to space or have a crossover with Jurassic World.

These movies keep making money hand over fist, so you know there are going to be further adventures, so we will just have to wait and see. Everybody involved in this is having a great time, and I had a nice combination of laughing at the movie and laughing with it, and so many lines are delivered with a nod and a wink, it is infectious.

At this point, if you weren't already on board with these movies, this won't make you convert, but for those who love these movies like me, it's a must see.