THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS

            I was initially concerned walking into this movie as to where else this franchise could go and how it can top previous installments. After watching, I realize that they actually didn't need to. There is always a feel-good feeling watching the Fast films and obviously you have cool action and some decent humour, and I suppose that's all we would ever ask for from this franchise. There is actually no necessity to top previous films with an even larger or weirder spectacle...just keep progressing the story naturally, and I'm sure the fans will turn up.

               And I think The Fate of the Furious did that, at the very least. Though they did try to top the spectacle with a submarine sequence (which I personally believe is forcing it a bit too much), the main focus is still on the story & characters, and I appreciate that. With this franchise, the characters are always key. I mentioned above that there is always a feel-good feeling with these movies, and that's because the family relationship & dynamics between these characters are always at the core of it all. Hence, our main protagonists always mean a lot to us, and we cared for them in return.

             And to talk about Furious 7 a little bit, I always teared up when I watch that final scene. And not only because I know Paul Walker has passed...but because I feel how much the relationship between Dom & Brian has developed, and that came to a end in that peaceful goodbye.

              Now, back to F8. In terms of plot, the overall plot works fine. It was nothing groundbreaking but it was decent enough to move the story forward. If anything, though, there are many smaller moments which I love (but I won't spoil them here). The action, meanwhile, is pretty fun and exactly what you hope to see from a Fast & Furious film. There is quite a lot of humour & jokes throughout the film. Not all of them hit the mark and some are getting rather predictable...but they are consistent & enjoyable.

               Overall, it was good fun and I personally loved the film. On a quality level, I may put it as the 4th best of the whole series, but on a personal level, I think this is my 2nd favourite (behind Furious 6). 
               Note: This is a case where you might see scores that aren't that high for a particular film, but that film may end up in my Top 10 of the Year...not saying that this will, but just saying sometimes we can end up loving movies which weren't that great.

VERDICT: 71 / 100

              If you are a fan, definitely go see it. If not, I think this film can give some good fun, but don't expect a great movie.