FAST & FURIOUS 8 REVIEW: Eight movies into 'Fast and Furious', one would think the testosterone-fueled concept of speeding cars that defy the laws of physics would begin to start losing steam. But Vin Diesel with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Jason Statham and crew manage to keep our eyes glued to the screen just for the sheer spectacle of complete mayhem that ensues.
The franchise does try to do things a bit differently this time around. Since Dominic Toretto is virtually untouchable behind the wheel, turning him against his 'family' and leaving his crew to fend for themselves, considerably raises the stakes on a personal front. With the addition of versatile actress Charlize Theron to the mix as a hacker extraordinaire, Diesel even gets to flex some of his acting muscles. Though it's a shame that Theron doesn't trade blows with the boys, she's a heartless, cold and calculating villain who proves to be more than a challenge. The rest of the proceedings are standard alpha-male fare, though Jason Statham as Deckard and The Rock as Hobbs prefer to exchange a barrage of verbal insults at each other, saving their fists for other unfortunate souls. There’s a surprising cameo from a revered British actress who lights up the screen in the few scenes she’s in – clearly having fun in a movie that doesn’t demand more from her accomplished acting skills.
There’s much to enjoy when cars are flying around the screen, even if logic takes flight with them. Some of the sequences are absolutely preposterous but make for such a dazzling display of destruction, they allow you to appreciate the sheer audacity of the filmmakers to even conjure them up! Traditional for big-budget films today, the plot leaves room for yet another outing, although at this point one wonders how much gas is left in the tank of this franchise.
