Cindy Prascik's Review of The Fate of the Furious

Dearest Blog: After a two-week hiatus, yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas to watch some of my favorite folks drive fast cars, shoot big guns, and blow stuff up in the Fate of the Furious.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

 

This being the eighth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, one has to ask: Did they miss an opportunity in not writing it "The F8 of the Furious?" Because I don't see it like that on any of the marketing (despite the official hashtag being #F8) and it's bummin' me out. Secondly: Is the series running out of gas? (Har. Har. Har.) I mean, literally, I think you HAVE to ask that, because every single headline I've seen so far has done so. But I digress...

 

The Fast and Furious franchise has buttered its bread by making each installment bigger and crazier, and this most recent outing is no exception. I didn't feel there was any one huge showpiece (like dropping the cars from an airplane last time), but the whole had higher stakes, better surprises, and more sustained lunacy. Vin Diesel is again front and center, as F8 sees Dominic Toretto turning on his team to work with an evil madwoman, portrayed with gleeful relish by the brilliant Charlize Theron. I was very pleasantly surprised by a couple much-loved faces turning up in the supporting cast, though I'd fervently hoped for one and the Internet tells me I should have known about the other. (Not spoiling here in case anyone else wishes to remain in the dark.) Dwayne Johnson is his usual charming self, and I say with only the tiniest bit of bias that the movie is a good deal better when Jason Statham is onscreen than when he isn't. Despite the world's fate hanging in the balance, F8 has plenty of lighter moments, and the humor, though juvenile and predictable, usually hits the mark. The film throws down massive stunts, explosive action, and, of course, some pretty sweet rides. Negatives are relatively few, but, as usual, the ending comes with extra cheese. Michelle Rodriguez is bad enough that I wondered how I ever thought she wasn't, and the movie could have used at least a 30-minute trim.

 

The Fate of the Furious runs 136 minutes and is rated PG13 for "prolonged sequences of violence and destruction, suggestive content, and language."

 

The Fast and Furious franchise gets full marks for giving its audience exactly what it wants, without ever taking that audience for granted. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Fate of the Furious gets seven.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Entrenched in the racial tumult of Los Angeles in the mid-1980's, a group of aspiring rappers banded together to revolutionize the global consumption of hip-hop and popular culture. NWA was born out of racial frustration and the disadvantaged economics of their South Central neighborhood. F. Gary Gray directs this biopic about the rise to stardom for the act that earned the moniker of "The World's Most Dangerous Group", featuring Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr. playing the role of his father, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, and Jason Mitchell as the late Eazy-E. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: F. Gary Gray

Cast: Corey Antonio Hawkins, O'shea Jackson, Jr., Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown, Jr.

Release Date: Aug 14, 2015

Rated: R Language Throughout, Drug Use, Strong Sexuality/Nudity and Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 27 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton is a thoroughly engaging if imperfect musical biopic.  It hits all the standard notes for this type of film with some of the moments coming off as manufactured or inauthentic.  It’s not a massive flaw but noticeable.  Thankfully an impressive ensemble cast carries the film with strong performances throughout with O’Shea Jackson Jr. making the biggest mark for his uncanny impression of his father.  Paul Giamatti is saddled with the role of the shady business manager and manages to give the role a bit more depth than expected.  The story itself might be familiar to some and totally foreign to others.  Either way it’s an interesting story that’ll keep you engaged as we watch the rise of gangster rap and its evolution.  The problem the film faces is that there are so many storylines that it does occasionally feel unfocused.  In the final act, Gary doesn’t quite seem to know where to end the story as we proceed through a travelogue of the 90’s.  It would have benefited from some trimming to make it a more efficient film.  That being said Straight Outta Compton is a strong film that feels terribly timely as well.

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Straight Outta Compton

Dearest Blog: This weekend my cinema has again left me spoiled for choice, with three brand spanking new releases for my viewing pleasure. Unlike last weekend, I had reason to believe seeing this week's offerings might actually BE a pleasure.

Since it's two-and-a-half bleeding hours long, Straight Outta Compton did not play nice as part of a double- or triple-bill, and I had to make a special trip to see it. I'm pleased to report it was well worth the effort.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers, or, you know, real life.
Rap group N.W.A. busts out of its rough California neighborhood and becomes a music industry game-changer.

Dear Reader(s), it would be fair to say that, as a music fan, I was not quick to come to the rap table. When N.W.A. hit the streets in 1986, I was so far up Styx' and R.E.O. Speedwagon's butts I would never have given N.W.A. the time of day. I mention that only to prove that my affection for this movie is not borne of sentiment; it really, really is a fantastic movie. (And, curiously, both Styx and R.E.O. Speedwagon are briefly referenced, so...yay!)

Straight Outta Compton is long. Entirely TOO long, if we're being honest, but it's so good it almost gets away with it. Everything about the movie feels natural, from dialogue to delivery to scene cuts and angles. The three principals have fairly limited experience, but their terrific performances make them look like old pros, and the supporting cast is also solid from top to bottom. The picture's mood flows easily from tense to funny to flat-out brutal and back, but it never misses a beat or feels awkward.

Whatever level of fame, success, or wealth, N.W.A. has achieved, the violent lifestyle has followed, but I would refute anyone who calls this story a glorification of that lifestyle. On the contrary, the movie--and the music--are a reflection of the artists' circumstances, and, while N.W.A. has had a great deal of success, they've paid a heavy toll as well. There's no denying the impact N.W.A. and their revolutionary sound have had on millions of people worldwide, and this version of their story is both moving and extremely entertaining.

Straight Outta Compton runs 147 minutes (are you even kidding me??) and is rated R for "language throughout, strong sexuality/nudity, violence, and drug use."

Pretty much every musical act that gets famous has a similar story: the humble beginnings, shady dealings, infighting, the corrupting influence of money and fame, and--if they're lucky--a chance at redemption.

A good or not-so-good movie is in the telling, and Straight Outta Compton tells the hell out of the N.W.A. story.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Straight Outta Compton gets eight and three quarters. (I desperately want to award the full nine, but I just can't justify that runtime!)

Until next time...