There are few franchises that have surprised like that of the Fast and Furious. The original film rolled into cinemas back in 2001. It was such a major hit that it came as no surprise there was a sequel with 2 Fast 2 Furious, but it lost star Vin Diesel to many fans dismay. Since then the franchise has reunited cast members from all the films into one cohesive team, lost some both on and off screen and added plenty of new faces through 7 films. Now the latest chapter in the franchise, The Fate of the Furious is here with all the same cast and some new additions including Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jason Statham and Kurt Russell as well as new additions Helen Mirren, Scott Eastwood and Charlize Theron with Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray at the helm, but does it offer up more of the same fun and twists or will it stall out before hitting the road?

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The Fate of the Furious follows Dom and Letty on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia retired from the game while the rest of the crew has been exonerated-the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime he can't seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before. After the shocking twist in the new trailer fans were eager to see what is happening in this latest chapter and I for one was afraid they were just going to rehash the lost memory story again, but thankfully that was not the case. While the direction they take is a bit over the top and not all that solid at times, it all still manages to come together like only this franchise can do. You get the usual family dynamic front and center as it sets up the expected betrayal, but they wait awhile to let you know why he is doing what he is doing. Some may not like the reason behind it all, but it does make sense and works to drive forward what they are trying to do.

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All of the cast once again jump right back into their roles like they never left with each bringing their own element of fun to the screen. This time around Johnson is given way more to do than the last film as well as Jason Statham. Their dynamic and constant banter is one of the highlights of the film that builds a relationship between the two characters that was unexpected and welcome. Diesel brings his usual alpha male mentality, but with the direction of the story is given the chance to showcase a little more emotion that we haven’t gotten to see much of from his character in this series. Everyone else does a good job with Theron offering up a good villain that has a bigger agenda than you might think. I was a bit underwhelmed by the lack of good use for Russell, but am happy to have him as part of the franchise nonetheless.

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Anyone that watches these films are really into them for the cars and action and this one delivers everything you could want on that front. There are plenty of high octane car chases, chaotic fist fights and shootouts to keep you happy right up until that last moment of the film. Much like the last film they have stepped up the action even more including a submarine, raining cars and so much more that will sure to please the hardcore fans of the franchise. As usual there are a variety of vehicles that are brought into play with each cooler than the next. As mentioned before there are some way over the top action moments, but that is just part of the insane fun of it all in this franchise.

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In the end if you love this franchise you will no doubt love this chapter as well. The ending to this film offers up a great ending that could be the perfect cap to the whole series, but there is no doubt they will be cooking some more insanity for the next chapter of the franchise. Now fans can rev up their engines and prepare to bring the high octane adventure home with not only the usual home release options, but also an extended edition only available on the Digital Edition.

 

In addition to the film this release includes commentary, extended fight scenes, and a variety of featurettes that take you further behind the engine that brings these films to life. Start your engine and grab your copy of The Fate of the Furious on Digital HD on June 27th and then on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on July 11th from Universal Home Entertainment.