THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS

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While on his honeymoon with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) in Cuba, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is forced into helping cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron) in her mad attempt to hold world leaders accountable for their actions. With the threat of nuclear destruction, it's up to Dom's crew to find him and put an end to Cipher's plan.

High-speed chases fuel another frenetic entry in this indestructible series. If you're searching for intricate plotting and award-worthy performances, look elsewhere. This is nothing more than
an action-packed fan-pleaser. Director F. Gary Gray ("Straight Outta Compton") maintains a frenzied pace with no time to ponder the many lapses in logic. But there's a level of suspense in discovering why Cipher has control over Dom. Vin Diesel leads a stellar cast that delivers the goods. Besides Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson returns as secret agent Hobbs, who takes control during the absence of the seemingly rogue Dom. Also in the driver's seat as crew members are Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges and Nathalie Emmanuel. Jason Statham and Luke Evans are back as brothers Deckard and Owen Shaw, former rivals of the crew who join the fight against Cipher. Kurt Russell makes another appearance as covert ops leader Mr. Nobody, with new cast member Scott Eastwood as his assistant Little Nobody. On board for the first time is Helen Mirren as the Shaw brothers domineering mother. Witty chatter between frenemies Hobbs and Deckard carries some of the film's few slow spots. But it's the many vehicle assaults that take the spotlight. The opening race through the streets of Havana harkens back to this series' origins. Soon we're off and running through outrageous chases that involve everything from hacked auto-driving cars to an out-of-control Russian nuclear sub. Cinematographer Stephen F. Windon's stunning location shoots from Cuba to Iceland add to the excitement. There's also a nice little tribute to Paul Walker. Not quite running on empty, "The Fate of the Furious" is destined to keep this series alive. (3 CAMS)


Rated PG-13 (prolonged sequences of violence and destruction, suggestive content, and language)
Running Time: 136 minutes

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