Review of The Fate of the Furious (2017) by Gauntletmm — 13 Apr 2017

If you're the type of person who watches a Fast and the Furious movie and criticizes the realism and physics of the driving, well... I don't know how you watch any movie. The Mythbusters have made multiple specials showing how all movies get ALL of it wrong; guys don't fly back when you shoot them, cars don't blow up like that, etc. So criticize this franchise when you're willing to criticize your beloved (insert title here). Having said that... I felt that the series got off the rails with the last movie (7), where they tried to contain a movie about fast cars primarily to a building. Then I saw the trailers for this sequel, and I was furious (pun not intended); the entire series is predicated upon Dom Toretto caring more about family than anything else... how are they going to pull of him betraying family? I was worried that the series had run out of ideas, and had to resort to the cliche of having protagonist turn antagonist. I went through scenarios in my mind, wondering what they could try to make this feasible without ruining Dom as a character. Don't make him a cliched "agent gone rogue"... Jack Bauer would go roque temporarily for the greater good; that's his job, he's a secret agent. Dom Toretto wouldn't. He would choose family. He always chooses family. So I actually went to see this movie to hate it. I was sure they'd run out of ideas, and I was going to see what stupid thing they did to put out another sequel to make more money.

Boy was I wrong! I think this might be the best film of the franchise. The earlier films had more personal connections; loyalties, betrayals, reasons characters felt strongly about things and would die for them. The later sequels had more and better action as the bigger budgets were allotted due to the franchises success. This takes elements from both of those and turns it up to 11! For the first time in a long time I had a reason to feel really strongly personally invested in the characters, in their success or failure, and not just so they pull off a heist and get more money. Real, human personal reasons. And after the skyscraper jumping antics of the last movie, thankfully they decided to take this film back outside... and boy did they ever! The scale and technical execution of this film is by far the most ambitious, and quite grandiose in its execution. Sure, it takes a little dismissal of reality, don't think too hard about the physics, but if you can do that, if you'll grant these guys the same suspension of belief you give the Avengers (and that comparison is really not far off; in this movie, the Rock is pretty much a super hero) you are in for one of the best action movies to hit theaters in a while. There are wow moments everywhere you look, and whether they make you laugh or drop your jaw in awe, they're immensely entertaining. I don't know why all the bad or mediocre reviews of this film. The people suggesting it "jumps the shark" don't seem to understand what that phrase means. And the "ridiculousness" seems to be toward the fantastical elements; these are the same people who said Dark Knight was amazing even though almost physical stunt that happened in that movie was just as ridiculous. And a lack of plot? That's just blatantly false. There is a tight, well constructed action movie plot, with a twist that's quite good. Like I said, I have no idea what they're talking about. This is fast car, lots of explosions, over the top action for the whole family. With characters we already love and a new reason to root for them. Best of the series if you ask me.