Fast cars, macho dudes, and non-stop action: ‘Fate of the Furious’ opens today
Buckle your seat belt. The eighth installment of The Fast and the Furious movie franchise opens in theaters today, which may explain why the guy in the Prius next to you suddenly feels the urge to drag race.
Yes, we know these movies are over the top. Yes, you’ll have to check reality at the door. And yes, we understand that a submarine can’t actually chase down a Howe & Howe Ripsaw high-speed tank, particularly while simultaneously breaking through thick ice. But who cares? Certainly not anyone who loves fast cars, macho dudes, and non-stop action. For all of those people (aka, our kind of people), The Fate of the Furious checks all the right boxes.
Just in case the plot actually matters to anyone, the short version is this: Dom (Vin Diesel), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), and their star-studded team have finally settled into some semblance of a normal life when a mysterious woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron) forces Dom to betray them all. Chaos ensues.
The thrill ride begins on the busy streets of Havana when Dom grips the wheel of a stripped-down, souped-up 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline and races a cheating hombre in a ’56 Ford Customline. The movie rarely slows down.
Just like Cuba, The Fate of the Furious — F8 … Fate … get it? — is chock full of classic cars. But the spotlight also shines on supercars and modern collectibles like an Aston Martin Vanquish, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Jaguar F-Type Coupe, and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S. And it’s no coincidence that the movie was released only two days after Dodge unveiled its 2018 Challenger SRT Demon. Watch for it on the big screen. Of course, there’s also that unbelievably fast submarine we’ve been talking about since the movie trailer made its debut two months ago, appropriately enough during Super Bowl LI.
The NFL championship game certainly lived up to its hype, and for pure entertainment the film does too. “The Fate of the Furious” isn’t going to win any Oscars, but does it have to? All we need to know is this: “Dominic Toretto has just gone rogue.” Pass the popcorn.
