BLOOD WORK: SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: FATE OF THE FURIOUS (2017)

So... I thought this franchise was done after the last one. FURIOUS 7 (2015) marked actor Paul Walker's final film and felt like a culmination of the story which began in the fourth film, FAST & FURIOUS (2009). It also felt like a grand send off to the franchise and the characters. I will admit that Furious 7 didn't feel as good as Fast 5 or Furious 6 and I attribute that to Justin Lin's absence behind the camera. Justin Lin directed movies 3 through 6 and is the man primarily responsible for the franchise being the powerhouse series that it is today.

FATE OF THE FURIOUS is directed by F Gary Gray who has directed some solid and truly badass action films like LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, THE ITALIAN JOB remake, and the Vin Diesel thriller A MAN APART. F. Gary Gray has the experience working with Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, and Vin Diesel and it shows.

I thought Fate of the Furious was going to suck. I really did. I thought Furious 7 was a step down from Furious 6 (not by much) and without Paul Walker I had a feeling the F8 would follow that trend. I mean, how can you top Jason Statham, Tony Jaa, Djimon Hounsou, and Ronda Rousey?

The eighth film in the Fast & the Furious franchise is... FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!!

THE PLOT

Dominic Toretto has gone rogue. Who is the mysterious woman named Cypher and what does she want with Dom? Government spook, Mr. Nobody, returns with the answers but is always one step behind Cypher. In order to catch Dom and this new enemy, Letty and the crew are going to need some help from an old enemy.

WHAT I LIKED

The Action. Holy crap! I didn't think the action sequences could get bigger or more intense than the previous films, especially with Justin Lin again not directing. I was wrong. F. Gary Gray delivers a film just as intense as Furious 6 and Fast 5 and showing even bigger spectacle than Furious 7. It's ridiculous really but oh so fun! The action feels well executed and hard hitting. And the problems with Furious 7, like Jason Statham barely being in the film, are corrected. And speaking of the Statham...

Jason Statham steals the show. I already loved that guy from previous movies like Crank, Crank 2, the Expendables, and so on. I was extremely excited about him being in Furious 7 and disappointed in the results. Here the filmmakers make good on the promise and take full advantage of Statham. The jailbreak scene is one of the most exciting in the movie. Dwayne Johnson too is absolutely badass in that scene. But where Statham steals the show is later... and he has a little help at it which just makes you smile.

Family. One of the consistencies of the Fast & Furious franchise, and to be honest it's greatest strength, is the emphasis nearly all the films place on the core characters. It's a character driven series. Whether the movies are about undercover investigations, street racing, or world spanning action, the backbone of each film are the characters and the relationships between them. You can't help but feel for them, smile with them, have fun with them, and feel the loss when one them is unexpectedly killed off.

Helen 'fricken' Mirren! I'll leave you with that.

NITPICKS

The Secret Character. SPOILER ALERT! There is a surprise appearance in the movie. When I saw this character show up I got super stoked! My pulse was racing and I was jacked for what should've been the best action sequence I've seen in a while. But the character was barely used. The scene was still my favorite from the movie but it could've been even better had this secret character been actually used instead of merely being there. Oh well... Next time they better do it right.

Scott Eastwood's character was given the role of "the idiot" and it felt very cliche. But he does redeem himself later on. Other than that I really don't have many complaints.

I really enjoyed this movie.

THE VERDICT

I wish Friday the 13th Part 8 was as good as Fast & Furious Part 8. I didn't think they could do it (nor should they after Paul Walker's death) but Fate of the Furious put the series back on track and brought the hard-hitting and elevated action levels that were needed. The characters were treated very well as they always should. And it was so much fun. I loved it. This is an action series that keeps getting better and better.

As much as I love the Expendables, I think the Fast & Furious films have found a better balance between characters, action set-pieces, and fun. It's PG-13 action perfected. I just wish the Expendables would've embraced Rated R action to the fullest, like the first Expendables did. Anyway, I digress...

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10