Entertainment-driven formula delivers again

THE testosterone fest known as The Fast and the Furious returns in Fast & Furious 8, a movie with a huge dose of what fans have come to expect from this franchise: car races, revved-up chases and familiar faces, plus just enough coherent plot to keep the narrative going.

Exotic locations, extravagant stunts and expensive hardware in the shape of supercars, a tech-heavy spy plane and the occasional nuclear submarine help to keep this movie, directed by F Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan, ticking over nicely, even if it is too long. The cast was probably having a little too much fun, encouraged by the film's US$250 million budget.

In any case, a series that started off in 2001 appealing to a limited demographic has since morphed (through seven previous films) into something more significant, gaining hordes of fans and achieving blockbuster status along the way.