When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
This film doesn't need any introduction, if you are a fan of The Fast & The Furious franchise, then this will blow your mind. As with the previous instalments, the latest F&F is constantly trying to outdo its predecessor and this one is no exception to the rule. The first movie after the death of Paul Walker, F8 was highly anticipated and is one of complete extravagance.
First off, I will try not to spoil this for anybody that has yet to see the ridiculous action masterpiece that is F8. As you can expect with any F&F we have lavish cars, amazing destinations, wisecracks, macho alphas and glossy explosions and F8 doesn't disappoint; in fact, F8 is F7 on cocaine.
The opening scene in F&F's are paramount, nail this and you have your audience hooked. F8 starts things off in Cuba with a street race (naturally) and for me, this is probably the greatest opening scene in the F&F franchise. It has everything you will expect from the classic F&F street race. Take the usual F&F formula, square it and you'll end up with this opening scene. From there the film ducks and dives as we follow Torreto and his crew from New York and Northern Russia in a roller coaster ride of non-stop over the top action.
One thing you have to remember with F&F is; plausibility is completely removed, you have to accept this. Once you accept that, this film will overdose you with humour, action and charm. The cast looked like they had incredible fun and you just want to be part of this world. There were too many moments in the film to list that will have you shaking your head in disbelief and humour.
Vin Diesel is his usual brutish self as Torreto, Dwayne Johnson does well with his bulldozer of a character in Hobbs, Paul is not completely forgotten as there is a touching nod to his character in the film's climax. The rest provide humour and the chemistry between Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges) is always something to look out for.
This film is far from perfect, many fans may have qualms with a certain character returning and working with the crew he was against in the previous film, but there have been hints of his story arc coming to light in the next film. Furthermore, Han's death (F7 & F&F: TD) is completely overlooked and papered over, now again this may be addressed in the next film, but it felt as though it cheapened the character we grew to love. However, as I've said before, plausibility is not considered, just strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride.
If you are a lover of serious, grounded films, then this is not for you. If you are coming into this without watching the backlog, then again this isn't for you. F-8 is for the fans who always want more, it is an over-pumped, lavish and ridiculous film, but one that will undoubtedly entertain. It is an action film on steroids that will have you smiling, laughing, leaving you in awe at the absurdity of it all and I for one cannot wait for the next instalment.
