Fast & Furious 8: What The Ending Of Fate Of The Furious Really Means
In short, "family" means a lot.
You know what you're going to get with a Fast & Furious film before you go into it. You will get action, you will get as many buckets of testosterone as you get petrol, and you will have several opportunities to leave your brain ticking over in neutral while the action speeds by. Those are not criticisms, by any means - they're basically the pillars of the brand.
And it's a brand that has a lot of life in it: we already know that there will be at least another couple of movies, and there are rumours of potential spin-offs and prequels - which will all continue to be pumped out as long as the series makes money. Which is one of the most easily backable bets in the history of the film industry.
What of Fate Of The Furious then? Does it live up to its billing and hype? Well, for fans of the franchise, it's more of the same, to the same level of finesse. Under its bonnet are a gleeful action spirit, an invigorating spirit for life and an irresistible silliness. And while this is very much a self-contained chapter, there are hints of what will come next and what roads the sequels and spin-offs could travel next.
So what happens, and what does it mean for the future of the franchise?