Movie Review: The Fate of the Furious

The continued financial success of the Fast and Furious films can be attributed to the creative team's deep understanding of its audience. Star/producer Vin Diesel, screenwriter Chris Morgan and the half-dozen other people calling the shots on this long-running franchise ability to consistently find new ways to excite and steadily grow their fanbase without ever boring them has helped make this series one of the biggest properties in Hollywood over the last 15+ years. The latest installment, The Fate of the Furious, keeps the franchise's sterling reputation in tact with yet another dose of top-notch, adrenaline-fueled entertainment.

The Fate of the Furious is a testament to how efficient these films have become since it reinvented itself as a lighthearted, wildly over-the-top action/spy/heist series with 2011's Fast Five. Every person involved with this project is on the exact same page creatively and that collective, collaborative mindset helps establish the type of effortless on-screen electricity that every blockbuster should strive to have. Whether it's a destruction-filled chase scene through a crowded New York street or the protagonists (Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Jason Statham, flipping sides after his villain turn in Furious 7) sitting around a table playfully hurling insults at each other, every frame of the film bristles with a level of energy, enthusiasm and good-natured fun that is nothing short of infectious. The consistently crazy action scenes may (deservedly) command the spotlight, but the sense of spontaneity that runs through every inch of Fate of the Furious still plays a pivotal role in its runaway success.

Per usual, the inspired madness and strong sense of camaraderie that defines the Fast and Furious brand is bolstered by the contributions of some series first-timers. Fate of the Furious' game new blood comes in the form of Academy Award-winner/certified badass Charlize Theron and director F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton, Law Abiding Citizen). Theron's imposing, scenery-chewing presence makes Cipher the most exciting villain this series has had to-date and a battle-tested veteran director like Gray was the perfect choice to tackle this series' massive, multi-faceted action sequences. Even among Fast and Furious fans, the producers ability to consistently bring new people into the fold that understand the tone and vision of the series is highly underappreciated.
    
Fate of the Furious proves once again that there's enough juice left in the tank for Diesel and co. to keep this franchise alive for the foreseeable future. Everyone involved with this project is clearly still have a blast making and every ounce of that collective joy always finds its way into the finished product. This series continues to raise the bar for escapist entertainment and if the alleged final two entries are as fun as the last four films have been, that bar is going to be damn near impossible for anyone to clear.

4.5/5 Stars