The Fate of the Furious (F. Gary Gray)

[number8]

I actually find the series' refusal to do dumb action movie one-liners and puns kind of endearing. Because instead of avoiding those moments altogether to shun that low-brow tradition, they still consistently do the typical set up of the soundtrack stopping and the camera focusing on an actor rearing to say something... and then they always just say something completely mundane and reasonably realistic.

Really, I'm sure everyone expected The Rock to say something wittier in the propeller scene. Like, "Big fan!" or something. But nope. "Ooh. Nasty!" It's hilarious.

It's a weird disconnect that works in grounding these movies for me. As if they put a bunch of witless street guys who can't do any quips in a gigantic superhero movie. Which is kind of what it is?

[Henry Gale]

Oh totally. Just the fact that he randomly pops out to say something at all is funny enough, but then saying something so simple in such a charismatic/excited way made it the biggest laugh of the movie for me, which is saying something.

His drawn-out way of calling Statham something like a "crumpet-eating SUUMMMM-BITCH" was great too, especially since he's already halfway through it before the camera even cuts to him.

[number8]

My favorite is still Ludacris in #6. Where the camera actually zooms in to a close up of his face, the soundtrack hits a high note then goes silent, and then Tej just says, "Uh.. They've got a tank."

[Skitch]

You guys are getting me so amped to rewatch the series. I'm gonna start with part four.

[Henry Gale]

My favorite is still Ludacris in #6. Where the camera actually zooms in to a close up of his face, the soundtrack hits a high note then goes silent, and then Tej just says, "Uh.. They've got a tank."

Which actually became a somewhat iconic line with the marketing of it, to the point that it's called back in this one when they get to The Toy Shop, with either him or Tyrese saying, "Guys, we've got a tank!"

[TGM]

Much as I not have been thrilled with this entry, I think it's awesome that this beat Star Wars' record for biggest global opening all the same. I can appreciate this series a hell of a lot more than Disney's cynical Star Wars by Committee.

[DavidSeven]

Entertaining enough, but the action is predictably over-reliant on computer effects. At least it has discernible combat and avoids the cartoonish absurdity of FF7, for the most part.

Shaw's acceptance to the team without so much as a mention of Han's murder undermines the essential thematic premise of this entire series. Seriously dumb and compromises the one thing the franchise has been able to harness better than other action series.

[number8]

I'm actually surprised to learn how much of it was practical. I was shocked that they threw dozens of actual cars off of an actual building onto actual cars on the street.

The ice climax too. The sub was CG, obviously, but they did throw around and blow up real cars on ice and just composited the sub and the missile in post.

[DavidSeven]

I'm actually surprised to learn how much of it was practical. I was shocked that they threw dozens of actual cars off of an actual building onto actual cars on the street.

Okay, that's interesting. I was convinced that scene was entirely CG.

[number8]

You're probably not the only one. This series has a tradition with doing insane stunts that people reasonably assume is CG.

I laughed out loud when I found out that the bank vault set piece in Fast Five was practical. Turns out the vault was a car with wheels on the bottom, and there was a driver inside it following the two cars.

[number8]

Proof:

[Morris Schæffer]

You're probably not the only one. This series has a tradition with doing insane stunts that people reasonably assume is CG.

I laughed out loud when I found out that the bank vault set piece in Fast Five was practical. Turns out the vault was a car with wheels on the bottom, and there was a driver inside it following the two cars.

I didn't know that, but even judging from the sheer brutal impact and tangibility of that vault scene, I'm not at all surprised it wasn't CG.

[number8]

Universal is thinking of spinning off Hobbs and Shaw into their own buddy movie.

Meh.

[Dukefrukem]

I can see that working.

[Henry Gale]

Only if it begins/ends with Han coming back from the dead, joining them and having a laugh with Statham, revealing it was all part of a bigger plan to have Cipher emerge all along.

[Morris Schæffer]

Mad energy all around, a very fun watch. And as insanely preposterous as it gets, the movie's stunt work and FX just about make you believe that that is a big ass nuclear submarine that just burst through the ice and is chasing our lads.

Love how they find creative ways to shoot something or do an action scene. How about the scene filmed underneath the ice, but with the camera aimed at the ice crust and you see a bunch of black shapes zoom by? Or how about Roman's Lambo threatening to slip into the water and Tej just about managing to save his ass by hooking the car.

So yeah, thumbs up. Again. I'm sure part 9 will get a thumbs up too.

[TGM]

Here's an article that a blogger friend of mine wrote looking at the success of the Fast & Furious franchise, which I thought some of you here might be interested in: http://feelinfuzzier.blogspot.com/20...-fast-and.html

[Dukefrukem]

This is the first one of these I liked since Fast Five. It's way more of a parody of itself than it's ever been- with the ridiculous set pieces, enemies becoming allies, death fakeouts, comic relief, the Rock fighting people like he's friggin super man, Dom showing some actual emotion, and villains saying typical villain things. In other words, it's completely self aware- and it puts an exclamation point on it when the Rock drives next to a torpedo on ice, and redirects it with his hands. Or when Jason Statham fighting an army while holding a 12 month old child. For some reason, Justin Lin wasn't able to accomplish this but F. Gary Gray was.

[transmogrifier]

6>5>7>8 (haven't seen 2-4, can't remember anything about 1 since I haven't seen it since 2001)

[Dukefrukem]

6>5>7>8 (haven't seen 2-4, can't remember anything about 1 since I haven't seen it since 2001)

I need you to post a setpiece in each movie to remind myself what the movie was about.

So for example:

Submarine chase > Safe Heist > The one where the tanker truck is rolling down the street > driving from skyscraper to skyscraper > whatever happened in the other movies.

[number8]

These movies are extremely memorable. I can recall everything that happen in each of them, and I think that's because each one is intentionally distinct in style, even between the four directed by Lin.

[Dukefrukem]

By all means describe 4-8 (release numbers) in one sentence. Also, you just marathoned all of them so it's fresh in your memory.

[number8]

Well, it is my favorite film series, but I've detailed the chronology of this franchise to people in bars and parties from memory at various points before my most recent marathon.

In one sentence, though? 4 is a noir murder investigation involving the Mexican cartel. 5 is a heist movie where they try to rob a politician in Rio. 6 is a military action movie about them taking down an international terrorist outfit. 7 is like a unrefined Park Chan-wook B-movie where Shaw is hunting them to avenge his brother while the team is hunting Shaw to avenge Han. 8 is a techno-thriller where the government recruits them to stop an anarchist super-hacker.

[Dukefrukem]

I like those summaries. What do you think 9 will be?

[TGM]