The Fate of the Furious parents guide

The Fate of the Furious Parent Guide

The script uses humor to help viewers endure well-over-two-hours of countless careening cars and reckless heroics.

Overall C

Family feelings amongst this well-seasoned team are tested when a beautiful woman (Charlize Theron) seduces Dom (Vin Diesel) into going rogue. This 8th adventure features the usual cast (Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell), crazy car stunts and scantily clad females that have become the hallmark of the Fast and Furious franchise.

Release date April 14, 2017

Violence D+
Sexual Content B-
Profanity C-
Substance Use A-

Why is The Fate of the Furious rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The Fate of the Furious PG-13 for prolonged sequences of violence and destruction, suggestive content, and language.

Run Time: 141 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

The street racers return for their eighth turn at the wheel in The Fate of the Furious, a title that evokes a sense of mystery. Well, let me assure you the biggest mystery continues to be how the laws of physics are put on hold so Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his merry men and women can pull off the four-wheel tricks this franchise is known for.

In fact, the opening minutes prove to be the most invigorating and comical of the entire movie. The first act is shot in Cuba (one of the very first American movies to do so since the political thawing). Dom is on his honeymoon with Letty (Michelle Rodriquez) and can’t resist racing a local down the cobbled streets of Havana. He pushes the old beater he’s driving so hard that the engine catches on fire. No problem. A quick one-eighty and he takes the finish line—in reverse. The gimmick gets the laughs it deserves, and demonstrates the style of humor that will help you endure the well-over-two-hours of reckless heroics to follow.

The story shifts into drive when Dom meets a mysterious woman in Havana (Charlize Theron) who shows him a photo on her phone. We don’t get to see the image, but suddenly our main man turns into Zombie Dom. Shortly thereafter, a pair of government agents (Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood) send Dom and his team to Germany to intercept an EMP (electromagnetic pulse bomb). Once they have acquired the device, Dom turns rogue and takes the precious cargo with him. Of course he’s working for Cipher, the femme fatale he met earlier. But the big question is why?

No one is more interested in getting that answer than Letty. Eager to help her figure out the identity and intentions of the bad blonde are Roman, Tej and Ramsey (Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel). Their mission gets a dual shot of testosterone from Hobbs and Deckard (Dwaine Johnson, Jason Statham)—two guys that have a little making up to do after the last outing. Putting their plan into high gear will involve countless car chases in exotic vehicles while the evil Cipher flies around the world in a huge pimped-up plane that never seems to run out of fuel and uses a sophisticated computer grid to keep an eye Dom and his “family” of colleagues.

Amongst the countless careening cars crashing through hordes of scurrying pedestrians (perhaps a little too much considering recent terrorist vehicle incidents) and racking up massive property damage points, there is also plenty of time for gunplay and hand-to-hand confrontations. Little blood is seen, apart from a character thrown into the blades of a turbine (the carnage is off-screen) resulting in blood spattering against a wall. Other fights depict characters who kill off victims by smashing their bodies and breaking their necks. In another incident, a helpless character is shot off screen at point-blank range. The good news? The “babe quotient” has been dialed down, except for the opening Cuban race sequence where countless women bare their assets for the cause of street racing. After a brief scene of Dom and Letty in bed together, the action plot takes over.

As so many movies do, this franchise continues to depend upon many people with shady pasts to save the world. It also preaches “family” but, like a mafia clan, all that love and harmony leaves a trail of violence and destruction in its path. By the time we make it to the checkered flag of this far too long adventure, we begin to think the world might be a safer place if Dominic would only commit to his desire to settle down for a nice long marriage.

Directed by F. Gary Gray. Starring Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Charlize Theron. Running time: 141 minutes. Theatrical release April 14, 2017. Updated

The Fate of the Furious
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Fate of the Furious rated PG-13? The Fate of the Furious is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for prolonged sequences of violence and destruction, suggestive content, and language.

Violence: Illegal car racing, dangerous driving, and impossible stunts are frequently depicted and glamorized. Theses result in spectacular crashes, car-rolls, head-on collisions and property damage. Also included are depictions of cars driving through crowds of pedestrians (no people appear to be hit in these scenes), the hacking of autonomous–driving software in vehicles that are then used to create havoc on the streets, cause accidents and even fall out of multi-storied parking lots. Characters frequently engage in hand-to-hand combat and weapons use: characters are beaten, shot and killed with accompanying sound effects. Although little blood is shown, there is one scene where a character is pushed into a turbine and blood is shown splattered on the wall. Other characters are presumably killed and injured. A character is shot on screen and another, who is bound, is shot off screen. Characters engage in gambling, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, jail breaks, evading authorities and threats of death/bodily harm. Criminal behavior is justified because it is done for a “greater good”. Main characters are in perilous situations throughout.

Sexual Content: Numerous woman in scanty attire attend a car race. Men are seen shirtless. A couple kiss passionately and are later shown in bed together. Other couples kiss. Characters discuss an unplanned pregnancy. Some sexual references and innuendo are heard. Men flirt with a woman.

Profanity: Asexual expletive in used within a non-sexual context. The script includes frequent scatological slang, mild and moderate cursing, and terms of deity. Vulgar expressions, crude slang and slurs are also heard.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters drink at a social gathering.

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The Fate of the Furious Parents' Guide

How does this movie glamorize criminal behavior? Does a “good cause” justify the killing and mayhem that follows the characters’ actions?

The main characters claim they are protective of “family”. Why do they seem unconcerned or unaware that others likely have family members too? How does the script’s absence of connection for any of the “bad guys” make it easier for viewers not to care about what happens to them?

News About "The Fate of the Furious"

The Fate of the Furious was perviously titled Fast 8 and Furious 8.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Fate of the Furious movie is July 11, 2017. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: The Fate of the Furious
Release Date: 11 July 2017
The Fate of the Furious release to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following extras:
- Theatrical & Director’s Cuts
- All About the Stunts - Go behind the scenes to witness how The Fate of the Furious accomplished the most epic stunts in franchise history.
- Extended Fight Scenes
- Feature Commentary with Director F. Gary Gray
- The Cuban Spirit - As the first major studio motion picture to shoot in Cuba in decades, the country’s effusive spirit permeates the making of the film.
- In the Family - In The Fate of the Furious, family ties are put to the ultimate test. Get an inside look at the family divide.
- Car Culture - It’s time to put yourself in the driver’s seat of the supercharged vehicles showcased in The Fate of the Furious.

Related home video titles:

This movie is part of a franchise that includes:
- The Fast And The Furious (2001)
- 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
- The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift (2006)
- Fast & Furious (2009)
- Fast Five (2011)
- Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
- Furious 7 (2015)