Fast and Furious 8 review: The rule no. 1 is to know your audience!

Director: F Gary Gray

Cast: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, and Kurt Russell. Newbies like Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, and Scott Eastwood also bolster the star-studded cast.

IBT Ratings: 2.5

From the word go, fans sitting in the theatre would expect that Fast and Furious 8 would go all out with the best of cars racing through the picturesque Cuba. However, that doesn't happen.

Also Read: The Fate of the Furious: Top 10 cars featured in The Fast and the Furious movie franchise

The opening sequence, featuring Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and Michelle Rodriguez's Letty Ortiz on their honeymoon, kicks off things with a mind boggling race. Dom not only changes the slowest car in Cuba to compete and win against the fastest car the city has seen, but is also seen driving straight, side and even in reverse to cross the finish line only to watch the car go up in smokes as it hits the ocean. It is breathe-taking and forces you to question racing skills, however, that's all the action you get in the first one hour of the movie.

As the story progresses, the family drama takes the driver's seat and Fast and Furious 8 moves ahead on the shoulders of Diesel. After unravelling a secret about his ex-girlfriend, Dom betrays his family and goes rogue, joining hands with Charlize Theron's Cipher, the best cyber-terrorist the Fast and Furious team has seen.

With the help of Dom, she steals the God's Eye, codes to the nukes and poses as the biggest threat for the cast in the climax.

While the story of the Fast and Furious 8 is bang on, avid fans of the franchise would be disappointed as the film fails to feature the central character – the cars.

When the franchise started off, the Fast and Furious movies brought together car enthusiasts, showcasing the world's best cars and the stories revolved around the street chases and fights. But with the turn of the fifth chapter, the cars have become mere accessories to the storytelling. With Fast and Furious 8, it does seem like the makers have lost the main focus of the franchise as the family drama takes over the automobiles.

If the luxurious cars go missing in the movie, Fast and Furious 8 would still go on. The movie features a number of high-end motor cars such as Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Jaguars even a submarine that could steal the show, however they are not utilised well. The film features four chase sequences, every chase showcasing a new collection of cars. But as the film nears conclusion, there are hardly a few cars that one remembers as the audience walk out.

Coming to the acting, it is understandable that the story revolves around Dom which is why Diesel is in focus. But what about other characters? Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs starts off on a hilarious note but the character disappears in the shadows of the dramatic storytelling. Though Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw plays an important role, his screen timing is limited. However, he manages to shine out in the climax but it felt like there was more The Rock could do in the movie.

The star of the movie is hands down Theron's Cipher. The gorgeous looking actress proves that women can beat men at being amazing villains. Her style of arm twisting Dom into completing the tasks, her dominating persona, her sense of authority over Dom in crucial scenes and acting through the climax to prove that she is the best female cast recruited in the movie proves she is a complete villain package.

While there are a number of flaws in the movie, first time Fast and Furious director F Gary Gray manages to pack through a tight climax. Tying all the loose threads in the climax, a number of questions raised in the movie are answered at the end of the movie.

Bearing all this in mind, Fast and Furious 8 is not an original illegal racing, heist and cars film. However, if you are a Vin Diesel fan, then you can risk a watch! Fast and Furious is not a recommended watch for someone who hasn't followed or watched any of the previous movies.