How does one go about reviewing a film like The Fate of the Furious, the eighth film in The Fast and the Furious franchise (F8 from here on in)?

I mean, if there is any franchise that seems impervious to critical reaction, it is this one.

Why?  Because the movies feature a wild assortment of big and very charismatic stars, big -and absolutely bonkers- action set pieces, humor, and that one ingredient many action blockbusters lack: A sense of heart.  Or is it family?

Don’t get me wrong:  The Fast and Furious films are ridiculous and, if you take even a few minutes to go over any of their plots, you realize the whole thing makes virtually zero sense.

Which is why F8 is no different than the last three films in the franchise yet another success.

The plot involves our F&F papa bear, Dom (Vin Diesel), going “dark” and working for the mysterious and well named Cipher (Charlize Theron, looking like she’s having a blast playing the movie’s central eeeeevvvvviiiillllleee character).

He betrays his group (which includes returning characters played by Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris).  The F&F group is, understandably, dumbfounded by this strange development.  Some can’t believe Dom would turn on them.  Others aren’t so certain.

However, things go from bad to strange when Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is imprisoned following Dom’s betrayal and winds up getting a cell directly across from the villainous Deckard (Jason Statham).  Through the machinations of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) and his new sidekick Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood), the two are released and along with the rest of the F&F gang tasked with bringing in Cipher…and Dom, if indeed he has turned bad.

The film moves along at a brisk pace and, provided you don’t think too hard about what you’re seeing, will prove a pleasant diversion.

For those who care, I’ll get into a few SPOILERS following the trailer to point out some of the film’s… uh… story problems.  That is, if you care at all to hear about them.

Meanwhile and despite these issues, I can’t help but recommend the film.  It’s as good as the previous two or three which, if you liked them, is a good thing indeed.

Ok, now for some of those dastardly…

SPOILERS

LOOK AWAY!!!

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!

 

Ok, so the movie’s basic plot, pretty well presented in the above trailer, points out how Dom apparently betrays his gang and goes rogue.  Anyone who believes the F&F’s papa bear would “actually” go evil needs to brush up on their Basic Moviewatching 101 skills.

So on the one side we got Dom and Cipher and on the other the “new” and remaining F&F gang, who are determined to stop them.

Sounds good, right?

Here’s the thing: the character of Deckard (Jason Statham), is suddenly presented as a good guy.  This despite the fact that he brutally immolated one of the F&F gang in a previous film and did all he could to eliminate the rest of them in the last film.

Ok, so that was brushed aside and now he’s not only a good guy, he comes to be accepted into the group!  All’s good because he interacts so well/humorously with Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson)!

Setting that aside, if one looks closer at the movie’s plot, there is very little reason for Cipher to take Dom and use him for her purposes.  In the course of the movie, Dom is tasked to do four things: 1. Betray his group so that he can steal the EMP bomb they are trying to get into the proper hands, 2. Break into Mr. Nobody’s headquarters so they can steal the “Gods-eye”, 3. Steal a Russian nuclear “football”, a briefcase with nuclear codes, from a Russian diplomat driving on a heavily fortified convoy through the streets of New York, and 4. Drive into a Russian naval base and set off that stolen EMP under a nuclear sub which will allow Cipher to gain control of it.

Of the four tasks, the first and last are the only ones that somewhat logically makes sense to force upon Dom.  The first because he’s right there, with the device within arm’s length, and can most easily steal it because the group doesn’t know he’s about to betray them. The last task, too, makes a certain sense as it involves Dom’s driving skills.

However…

The second task didn’t need Dom as in a matter of two seconds Cipher knocked out everyone at Mr. Nobody’s base and, while the F&F group were squirming on the floor, appropriated the God’s Eye.

Note that she had everyone in the F&F group at her mercy during this scene and could easily have shoot them all dead.

So why didn’t she?

There was no real reason to show any mercy and, worse, later in the film it is made clear Cipher has no compunction about killing people… which makes that act of mercy all the more baffling.

The third task is all but completed by Cipher and her right hand man through computer control of New York’s civilian vehicles.  The actual taking of the nuclear “football” could have been done by anyone in Cipher’s group and there was no real reason for making Dom do it.  Further, there’s an odd scene following the actual theft where Dom removes the mask he was wearing while taking the suitcase.  I strongly suspect this scene was added in later on down the line so audiences would realize he was the one who took the material.

That part of the film also involves the seeming “death” of Jason Statham’s Deckard, but that too is presented in a very weird way and never adequately explained.

How exactly does Deckard get fake “killed”?  Dom does this by seemingly shooting him dead yet later in the film Deckard is brought back to life by being injected with something (it should be noted whatever he was injected with isn’t explained either!).

Were the bullets in Dom’s gun some kind of tranquilizer rounds?  Assuming this is the case (understand: This is never explained!), how did Dom get those bullets?  For that matter, how did he get in touch with the Cuban fellow from the beginning of the film who then runs interference for him in the New York scenes to set up the meeting he takes shortly before that sequence?

That’s a lot of planning and scheming to do while under Cipher’s supposed all-seeing eyes!

Anyway, enough of the questions.

Sit back, put your brain in neutral (pun intended), and enjoy.

And whatever you do, don’t think too hard about what’s going on.