Does ‘The Fate Of The Furious’ Finally Jump The Shark?

The Bottom Line (Audio Summary)

The Fate of the Furious is the eighth movie in The Fast and the Furious franchise, in which series protagonist Dominic Toretto seemingly betrays his team to pull heists for a dreadlocked Charlize Theron. As the story unfolds, the family has to figure out if they can get Dom back, or if they’ll need to take him out. To make it to eight movies is no small feat, so how does this movie stack up against its predecessors?

What Worked

These movies are all about over-the-top action that defies the laws of physics. That’s proved true yet again, as Fate of the Furious has some of the franchise’s most insane and unbelievable stunt work yet. If that’s all you hope and need to get from this experience, then you’re in for a treat.

The chemistry among the team is also a big selling point to see Fate. It’s so much fun watching these characters interact, and after eight movies it’s no wonder the actors really do feel like family. Even new players like Scott Eastwood fall into place perfectly. The acting itself isn’t always great, in fact sometimes it’s downright bad, but the chemistry seems to make up for that.

Special shout outs go to Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham for delivering both the film’s best combat scenes and the most overall fun performances. The two fit so well into this franchise; hopefully they stick around for its duration.

Honestly, this movie has heart, which is the one thing that keeps this series alive. As dumb as the action can get, the characters and their relationships are compelling enough to make this more than just a paint-by-numbers blockbuster.

What Didn’t Work

Like I said, these flicks are about crazy stunts, and they have to top themselves with each movie. But there’s always a point in each movie where it seems they go just a hair too far. In Fate, that point comes in the climax where the team is speeding away from Russian separatists across ice. That in itself isn’t too far, and the car stunts are acceptable, but what the characters were able to do on the ice when they’re outside of their cars seemed like overkill. It’s hard to complain without spoilers, so you’ll have to see and judge for yourself.

The dialogue in this movie is also hands down some of the worst dialogue ever written. Granted, most folks don’t go see a Fast and the Furious movie for the dialogue, but it still needs to be pointed out. Some one liners were so contrived that they were actually distracting. If bad dialogue is something that takes you out of a movie and ruins the experience for you, maybe steer clear of Fate of the Furious. But if you’re a stickler for writing and dialogue, there’s a good chance you weren’t planning on seeing it anyway.

What are your thoughts on the Fast and the Furious franchise? Which film in the series is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!