Written by Keith Carandang
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
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Sorry to spoil those spoilers going round the social circles, but Dom does NOT die in the latest Fast & Furious movie. I gotta admit, I was one of those fooled by the memes claiming Dom’s apparent death at the end of the movie, which greatly affected my movie experience. All throughout I had to make myself believe that Dom wouldn’t die and it turned out that I didn’t have to! The damage was done though, and I had already stressed myself over nothing. So let me just tell you right here and now: SPOILERS ARE NOT COOL. SHARING A SPOILER (even a fake one) DOES NOT MAKE YOU COOL. STOP.
With that being said, here’s me full on warning you that there may be a few minor spoilers in this review. So if you absolutely want to go in the movie blind, close this tab and leave now. For those of you who wouldn’t mind getting a sneak peek into what’s in store for Dominic Toretto and his team, stick around.
Last we saw of Dominic Toretto and his familia in Furious 7, they had just thrown Deckard Shaw into a high security prison with one team member down with Han’s death, but also gaining one team member more with Ramsey. The movie ended with Brian and Dom driving in different directions and seeing as they’ve all agreed to finally let that be their one last ride, it was interesting to see how the dynamic would change once they retired the late Paul Walker’s character Brian O’Conner.
The team feels a little empty now with so many original characters gone, especially with the perfect chemistry that had reinvigorated the movies starting with Fast 5. But this movie introduces a LOT of new meat to plow through. Scott Eastwood tries to fill that authoritative pretty boy position left by Brian O’Conner, and does a so-so job. His character felt bland and overpowered by the ongoing dynamic of the team, and his efforts at humor felt too forced to salvage it. He’s given some time behind the wheel, but given no background whatsoever to justify how he’s able to keep up with professional racers. If there will be a next movie, a closer look into his character could give a fresh new start for the franchise, but Scott definitely needs to up his game for that to happen.
Charlize Theron, on the other hand, was no doubt brilliant and the only problem I had was her hair. Her character is so extra I can almost look up to her. But her incredible talent had me hating her off the bat what with her behind the mess that is Dominic Toretto against his own family. I had to suspend my disbelief right from the teasers because since the first movie, Dom had always been the one person you can expect to risk everything for his family. I didn’t have to wait for long because halfway through the movie, we find out just exactly why Dom went rogue and it’s good enough to satisfy and confuse you at the same time.
Basing from the teasers and the previous movies, I expected another out of this world and unrealistic plot for the team, but the torpedo and submarine from that outrageous trailer was actually executed well. Compared to the car flying from one building to the other, this movie felt a little more plausible than the others. The graphics and special effects are still great and exciting but what many fans might mean when they say the movies have gotten ridiculous would be that it has gotten so big that it might have forgotten to pay attention to its roots. One big thing missing from this movie is racing.
It sounds ridiculous since this is THE Fast & Furious we’re talking about, but it’s true. Sure, there are high speed chases and gorgeous cars that are to die for but there was not one scene where any of the characters just race each other for the fun of it. I see that it might not have gone with the tone of the movie, but that’s the problem exactly! The Fast & Furious franchise really needs to tone down the smoke and mirrors a little and just give their fans a little more of those quarter mile street races.
All in all, this movie gets a 4/5 and makes a close second to my favorite Fast & Furious movie of all time which was Fast Five. It had beautiful cars, a suspenseful plot, and good old comedic dialogues with the characters I have loved since the beginning. New characters try to fill the gaps, some work and some don’t. That little surprise at the end really squeezed my fangirl heart because that plot twist felt familiar and almost made up for the lack of races.
Fate of the Furious is a must watch for any Fast & Furious fan as well as those who aren’t. So tag your friends and family and tell them that the spoilers aren’t real! Watch the movie and feel like you’re right behind the wheel riding with the best team of racers you’ll ever see.
Have you seen the movie? How was it for you? Tell us what you think in the comments!
