We re-join Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) while on their honeymoon in Havana, Cuba and everything is idyllic. One day while out doing some shopping, Dom comes across a lady having car trouble. Unfortunately she is not all she seems and has information that forces Dom to turn his back on his ‘family’ and go rogue. After a job goes badly for the group, in Berlin, Germany, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) ends up in a maximum security jail where he finds his old nemesis, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). There is soon a huge jailbreak and there’s a race to escape. We soon discover the reasons behind Dominic’s betrayal but the rest of his group are clueless as to his actions. Cypher (Charlize Theron) is the Mastermind behind a huge plot to cause chaos and destruction and the one who’s pulling Dom’s strings. She uses him as her puppet, to retrieve articles that will help her achieve her ultimate and destructive goal. Can the group use all their skills to defeat Cypher and stop her plan before it’s too late, or will Dom be their undoing?
The eighth in the Fast and Furious franchise (known as The Fate of the Furious in the US), continues the story of the rag-tag bunch of friends, known for their spectacular car racing skills. The series began back in 2001 with the first Fast and Furious movie, and told the story of the street-racer and ex-convict Dominic Toretto, and his crew, who were under suspicion of stealing expensive electronic equipment from moving trucks. The next seven movies follow the group, who become like ‘a family’ and use their stunning driving skills to achieve various aims at very high risk. There are rumours floating around of at least another two movies to follow this eighth one.
I wouldn’t say that I’m a huge fan of car racing movies but the Fast and Furious franchise has so far been in a league of its’ own. Unlike most movies you will see, this is about as high adrenaline as you can get. Alongside an extremely likeable cast, including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who really seems to be coming into his own this past while, there’s a real feeling of a true bond between the characters. With the new additions of Helen Mirren (her accent in this is truly laughable. Sorry Helen!), and also Charlize Theron as the criminal Mastermind, the series is going from strength to strength and I can’t see it stopping any time soon. The chases and stunts in the movie have to be seen to be believed, particularly the chase that goes through the streets of New York. The budget for this movie must have been huge and it’s obviously money well spent. The cars are bigger and better than before and the chases are more and more elaborate.
If you’re looking for a high adrenaline and entertaining movie to go and see, then give Fast and Furious 8 a watch. Even if you haven’t seen the previous seven movies, the story is easy enough to follow. A real roller coaster of a movie!
Starring: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Scott Eastwood, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Kurt Russell.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Release date: 12th April 2017
8.5/10
