Given the chance to check it out a little bit earlier by MNet Movies, I couldn’t say no to an invitation to one of the biggest movies of the year. Many have asked this and probably still are – was there a need to do another one? How good is the latest offering in the franchise? Is this the last one or will be there be another offering in the series? Hopefully the analysis below will help answer most if not all of the above.

Cast – Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron & Helen Mirren

Director – F. Gary Gray

Genre – Crime film/Thriller

Running Time –  2h16m

The Plot

Now that Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are on their honeymoon, Brian and Mia have retired from the game, and 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 back into a world of crime that he can’t seem to escape, the crew will face trials that will test them as never before.

The plot above doesn’t give too much away and is too simplistic but when you mix it up with the trailer you can’t help but get giddy about the movie. But does it live up to the hype? Simple answer is an outstanding yes, the movie truly is a blockbuster worth checking out and lives up to the bill. The whole franchise has been taken to another level and has continued to evolve with each movie released in the series. Fast & Furious 8 is a well put together movie complete with non-stop action, crazy but impressive stunts and a bit of comedy here and there.

The movie truly is a blockbuster worth checking out and lives up to the bill.

Sure, the plot and how it’s set up might not be mind-blowing or original but its simplistic nature makes the whole offering easy to follow. The movie flows from one end to the other seamlessly and offers a bit of everything, Fast 8 might be the best in the whole franchise. There probably wasn’t a need to do another movie in the series however it’s still a winning formula and my money is on another one in the offing especially when you consider how it concluded which you’ll see for yourself.

In addition to the other regulars, our very own Charlize Theron joins the perfectly assembled cast in a slightly surprising role as the villain. When it was initially announced that she was set to become the villain, a part of me wasn’t too sure but, surprisingly, she pulls it off without any hiccups and is in fact one of the reasons why the whole offering is a fantastic watch. A great choice in character selection and very well executed.

Fast & Furious 8 is a great flick, I truly enjoyed it and no doubt just about everyone else will, regardless of whether or not you’ve been a fanboy/girl from the onset or not. It’s got almost everything you would want in a good action thriller and is guaranteed to have your attention throughout. A great watch, the movie gets a very cool 4.4 out 5 rating from me.

* Special shoutout to MNet Movies and Ster-Kinekor for a very cool screening, one of the best I’ve been to in a while!