IronWatcher’s review published on Letterboxd:
Watched on 4K UHD Blu-Ray
"Fast & Furious" is one of the great mysteries that the cinema landscape currently holds in store. Not because the films are so complex and twisty. Even the biggest fans wouldn't call them that. No, the mystery is how a series that is simple in itself has become bigger and more popular over the years. Where others struggle to keep their fans hooked, to sell a concept over and over again, here the popularity grows from time to time. The highlight so far: "Fast & Furious 7". The action thriller grossed a whopping 1.5 billion dollars six years ago, making it the sixth most successful film of all time back then. Nobody really expected the eighth feature film to top this result. It grossed about 1.25 billion dollars.
Those who have never watched the series expecting it to be all about car racing will hardly believe their eyes here. Of course, in "Fast & Furious 8" you can also step on the accelerator. Director F. Gary Gray and screenwriter Chris Morgan let Dom demonstrate his driving skills in beautiful Cuba. But when a spontaneous race past picturesquely run-down scenery becomes increasingly absurd after a conventional start, the tone for the following two hours is set: the more stupid, the louder, the more explosive, the better.
Now this is usually part of the action genre. The difference here, however, is that you are very well aware that you are actually just telling nonsense. But this is done with so much pleasure that you can't help laughing. Fast & Furious 8 is a delightfully over-the-top effects spectacle that misses almost no opportunity to exaggerate everything beyond the limit. It would be a real shame to reveal the individual craziness in advance, as the appeal of the film lies in the surprise. Just this much: you will associate Regen with completely different images in your head afterwards than before. And anyone who thought that chases on snow and ice were necessarily tied to skis will be offered a somewhat different alternative here.
Apart from the cracking action scenes, the characters are also an important pillar of the film and the franchise. Fans can then also look forward to many returnees: Besides Dom and Letty, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Tej Parker (Ludacris) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) are also back. In addition, there are a few guest appearances by former protagonists and antagonists. In general, a lot of emphasis is placed on fanservice in "Fast & Furious 8": Smaller references and allusions give the regular audience the feeling of still being part of the family despite the grown environment. However, you don't necessarily have to have seen the previous films to have fun here: When every encounter between Luke and Deckard turns into a threatening cockfight or Roman and Tej tussle over Ramsey, you don't need a prequel. What is shown speaks for itself. And for the actual plot, the presence of a brain is rather detrimental anyway. Here it's a case of head off, beer bottle in hand and let yourself be entertained.
All in all, this works quite well. Of course, one should say goodbye to any form of pretension before enjoying. And even then, some of the dialogue will make you roll your eyes. Or the many clichés that are used here, for all their absurdity. Above all, no effort was made to give the characters any real contour. To make more of them than oneliner soap opera heroes. This may be less serious with the old-timers, after all, we have already been through enough with them. But whether it's the opaque, godlike hacker Cypher, her brutal henchman Rhodes (Kristofer Hivju) or the typical rule-slave cop Eric Reisner (Scott Eastwood), they've been very lazy. Much more entertaining is a cameo appearance by Helen Mirren, who, besides her appearance in "Hobbs & Shaw",will return in part 9 according to the trailer. But until the ninth part comes along, this mixture of over-the-top action and exaggerated sayings is a good way to pass the time. Those who haven't warmed to it so far can still save themselves the eighth final ride. For them, the series will remain a mystery.
