The Fast and the Furious franchise is a strange beast. When the first film came out in 2001, (directed by Hollywood “yes man” Rob Cohen) starring Vin Diesel (who was known for Saving Private Ryan and the excellent sci-fi thriller Pitch Black) and Paul Walker, the two actors were relatively unknown. The film drew its inspiration from a magazine called Racer X, and the budget was on the small side considering today’s ridiculous standards. Nobody thought it would be a huge summer tentpole franchise, especially considering the low quality of the films that followed.

While the first flick was a fun ride, the decrease in quality wasn’t exactly gradual, it was more like the equivalent of crashing a car into a wall. They first made the dreadful 2 Fast 2 Furious  without Vin Diesel’s participation, introducing new characters that little did we know, would become huge players in future films.
 

By the time The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift came along, it looked like the end of franchise was nigh. None of the original actors were still around (save for a useless Vin Diesel cameo) and it just lacked the overall charm of the original. But somehow, director Justin Lin found a way to revive the dying franchise and when they released Fast & Furious (the fourth one), it seemed like the perfect swan song. Fans of the series saw their favorite characters come back, adrenaline-pumping action scenes, and a noticeable increase in quality over its two most recent predecessors. Where could they possibly go from here?

To put it mildly, they managed to essentially reinvent the genre, and in the process also even create their own brand. Fast Five, what we and other critics safely call one of the best action films of the 21st century, introduced a great group of characters, gave us amazing action pieces one after the other and introduced The Rock to the gang (a most welcome addition). The two films that followed embodied the same spirit, but were sadly marked by the untimely passing of Paul Walker.
 
So what can we expect from The Fate and the Furious, the 8th installment in the series? For one, it appears to be sticking to the franchise’s formula for success, except it could be even bigger and even faster. This time Dominic Toretto (Diesel’s character) has betrayed his friends, and is being led down an evil path by Charlize Theron. To add to that, The Rock is imprisoned in the same jail as the villain played by Jason Statham. He may not be all that villainous because he’ll inevitably be joining the crew at some point. It’s a predictable formula, but a pleasing one once you flick the off switch in your brain.  
 
With Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray helming the film, even though there’s been talks of an internal feud between The Rock and Diesel (smells like a publicity stunt) we can safely assume that the film will deliver what it promises in the trailer. A big, loud and entertaining experience. No less, no more.
 
Fate and the Furious opens April 14, 2017, watch the trailer here.