Just when Fast and the Furious fans started thinking that its super fast and glamourous racing cars have run out of fuel, actor Vin Diesel–who is the one of the two main protagonists in this franchise– along with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, both playing prominent roles in the franchise, managed to refuel them.

Directed by Felix Gary Gray, the eighth instalment in the series known as The Fate of the Furious have much to offer from jet packs, snowmobiles, hot blooded and bearded Russians to cars that defy the laws of physics. Yet, it lacks a properly structured script. The plot seemed to bear strong resemblances with James Bond films. It revolves around a cold and heartless cyber terrorist named Cipher, portrayed by the versatile Charlize Theron, who lures the upright Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), to her favour. This appeared to be a real twist of incidents that took the audience with surprise.

The action sequences were extravagant, and it was amusing to watch cars flying around the screen, even if logic took flight with them. The sequence where Cipher uses her hacking prowess to mobilise hundreds of taxis and passenger vehicles against Dominic’s team in midtown Manhattan, with drivers and passengers screaming as the cars mass into a terrific swarm, is an example of sheer brilliance in cinematography. It builds up to a scene of parked cars reversing to certain doom out of a multi-storey structure, plummeting like rodents, as if all of them were in a suicidal spree.

Going by the plot, the movie may appear to be dull in many cases. Though all the elements necessary for inciting excitement, curiousity and entertainment in the audience have been used, a common factor that could have joined these elements together is missing. This makes the attempt look incomplete and half hearted. However, the film appeals for its larger than life presentation and might not work for those who seek resemblances of realities in movies. Besides, entertainment movies are a genre in itself and cannot be ruled out altogether as they appeal the greater mass.

Generally sequels tend to die out after a certain time but this particular franchise has managed to keep the charm intact even after eight long years. The cinematography has been excellently done by Stephen F. Windon. The well crafted action sequences and the sheer spectacle of complete mayhem along with Diesel’s commendable screen presence keeps the fans glued to their seats for two hours.

Class X, Patha Bhavan High School