In a sentenceJason Statham seems to have read a much more cheerful script than Vin Diesel
In Havana, a drag race puts Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) behind the wheel. His loyalty is to family, including Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) and the gang that counts Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) among its members. Cipher (Charlize Theron) poses a threat to that circle, while Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) becomes another forceful presence in the group’s affairs. Dominic wants to protect the people closest to him, but the conflict puts those relationships under strain. Hobbs and Shaw also have to contend with each other’s competing personalities.
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F. Gary Gray’s action sequel is entertaining in stretches and much too solemn between them. Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson make a persuasive case for spending less time discussing the family.
F. Gary Gray’s The Fate of the Furious is entertaining when the cars or the cast are allowed to misbehave. It is a decent, overlong action sequel, held back by a family drama that asks for more concern than it earns. We have no objection to the improbable stunts; the solemn conversations are harder to accept. At 136 minutes, there is plenty of time for both.
The opening drag race in Havana gets the scale right: there are cars to follow and an immediate reason to care about their progress. Cinematographer Stephen F. Windon puts us close to the cars, where their bulk and speed do useful work. The race has a concentration that some of the larger action lacks, letting us enjoy the driving without demanding that we admire everything else happening around it. As the spectacle grows, the number of vehicles becomes a less reliable measure of how much fun we are having.
Jason Statham, as Deckard Shaw, is the strongest reason to persevere through the heavier passages, because he treats a joke as something worth delivering properly. Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs is a useful match, with a forcefulness that becomes funnier when someone answers back. We laughed at their competitive bluster; both actors let these men look ridiculous without seeming embarrassed by them. Their exchanges make us want to spend time with the gang, which is more than the speeches about loyalty manage.
Vin Diesel has the less rewarding job. As Dominic Toretto, he plays the family drama with such unwavering gravity that the performance begins to make the surrounding jokes feel out of place. Chris Morgan’s screenplay supplies explanations and declarations where a few convincing exchanges might have done more. Charlize Theron, playing Cipher, brings commitment to an underwritten villain, but she cannot supply the variety the role lacks. Too many of these scenes ask accomplished performers to make thin material sound important.
Editors Christian Wagner and Paul Rubell face a difficult problem: the film keeps stopping to explain itself after working hard to get us excited. Their cutting does not make those interruptions feel any shorter. Brian Tyler’s music pushes for excitement even when the cars already provide it, adding to the sense that the film distrusts a quiet moment. Bill Brzeski’s production design accommodates the increasing scale, though the surroundings seldom become as interesting as the machinery passing through them. There is a lot to look at and too little time to take much of it in.
The trouble is not that the action has become implausible. An action sequel can ask us to accept a great deal when its characters are good company and its scenes have a rhythm we can follow. Here, the recurring insistence on family makes the uneven attention paid to those relationships harder to ignore. F. Gary Gray is more convincing when he lets the performers be funny or gives the driving his full attention. Come for the cars and the competitive insults, and allow for a fair amount of waiting between the better examples of each.
The reviews lean towards qualified enjoyment of The Fate of the Furious, with praise clustering around its outlandish car action and comic performances. Critics repeatedly single out Jason Statham’s timing and physical comedy, while his pairing with Dwayne Johnson provides a welcome source of humour. Even several detractors find individual stunt sequences entertaining. For the more enthusiastic critics, the scale and invention of the action compensate for thin character development and an increasingly unlikely plot.
The spread is wide, however, and the reservations concern more than realism. Critics fault the length, heavy exposition and dour treatment of Vin Diesel’s storyline; several also find the family relationships less convincing. Variety admires the precision of the spectacle, whereas Vulture finds that the action overwhelms an already overloaded film. Charlize Theron divides opinion too: Deadline finds her sidelined, while The Wrap considers her committed performance a steadying presence.
The review is strongly positive, describing the film as a thrilling rush. It singles out the franchise’s exhilarating, high-octane energy for praise.
Read the full review →Gleiberman calls the film a dazzling, smartly crafted action spectacle, despite its excesses and occasional weak elements. He especially praises the precision and flamboyance of its action set pieces.
Read the full review →The critic finds it a big, dumb action movie that remains fast, furious and frequently fun, though character moments are relatively thin. Jason Statham’s snark and hand-to-hand action stand out, especially in a goofy plane fight.
Read the full review →Hewitt finds the film an enjoyably over-the-top ride, though its exposition-heavy scenes and Vin Diesel’s dour storyline are weaker. He singles out Jason Statham’s charismatic, quip-filled turn as the film’s MVP.
Read the full review →The standfirst highlights the film’s new additions and witty flourishes. The review’s full verdict and specific praise are unavailable in the accessible text.
Read the full review →Vishnevetsky finds the film listless and overlong despite its nominally entertaining spectacle. He praises the opening drag race’s direction but criticizes the handling of the Manhattan car-swarm sequence.
Read the full review →Part of · 6 of 9
The Transporter · not reviewed yetJason Statham gets more room for precise fighting and dry comedy.
Police Story · not reviewed yetFor action whose comic timing matters as much as its physical danger.
The Italian Job · not reviewed yetA smaller scale, a lighter touch, and cars with proper comic purpose.
Unstoppable · not reviewed yetA useful reminder of how much suspense one clear objective can generate.
The Good, the Bad, the WeirdFor escalating action that remembers to give its competing personalities equal attention.
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