With the release of 'The Fate of the Furious' as Previewed below, this mega sixteen year long running franchise that has so far grossed over US$3.9B from combined production budgets for the first seven feature length films of US$759M, I thought it timely to provide a quick summary of the franchise today, in chronological order.* Film #1 : 'The Fast and the Furious' released in 2001, Directed by Rob Cohen, took US$207M from a US$38M budget.
* Film #2 : 'The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious' released in 2003, Directed by Philip G. Atwell, is a six minute short film connecting the first and second films.
* Film #3 : '2 Fast 2 Furious' released in 2003, Directed by John Singleton, took US$236M from a US$76M budget.
* Film #4 : 'Los Bandoleros' released in 2009, Directed by Vin Diesel, this twenty minute short film provides a back-story for the characters and events leading up to the oil truck heist at the start of the fourth film in the series.
* Film #5 : 'Fast & Furious' released in 2009, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$363M from a US$85M budget.
* Film #6 : 'Fast Five' released in 2011, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$630M from a US$125M budget.
* Film #7 : 'Fast & Furious 6', released in 2013, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$789M from a US$160M budget.
* Film #8 : 'The Fast and Furious : Tokyo Drift' released in 2006, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$158M from a US$85M budget and was released as the third film in the series.
* Film #9 : 'Furious 7' released in 2015, Directed by James Wan, took US$1.52B from a US$190M budget.
* Film 10 : 'The Fate of the Furious' released in 2017, Directed by F. Gary Gray, and made for a reported US$250M.
And so to this week where we have five new movie offerings with which to tempt that cinema dollar out of your pocket. We kick off with the eighth feature length instalment in a franchise that is now sixteen years old and has brought in mega bucks for the studio behind this high octane, all action, pedal to the metal series. This is followed up by a Sci-Fi comedy featuring a hard drinking party girl who discovers she has something in common with a Godzilla like creature running rampant in Korea; and then a psychological thriller about a personal assistant and gofer who thinks she sees dead people, but is only really searching for one! We then go to a historical true telling of a courtroom drama that unfolded in the mid-'90's surrounding the denial that the Nazi Germany Holocaust of WWII actually occurred, and then wrapping up the week with a French and German foreign language tale of the aftermath of WWI as a grieving woman meets up unexpectedly with a former close friend of her recently killed in action fiancé and the bond that is forged between them, despite the challenges of the time, nationalities and other personalities on the periphery.
As usual, you are here cordially reminded that your constructive, relevant and timely views are welcomed when you have sat through your movie of choice in the week ahead. Simply record your opinions and observations of your film experience by leaving your Comment in the box below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and see what you've got to say about any film as Previewed below, or as Reviewed and Previewed between these humble Blog pages previously. Meanwhile, enjoy your cinema experience in the coming week.
'THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS' (Rated M) - also known as 'Fast and Furious 8', 'Fast 8' and 'F8', this mega franchise never seems to stop rolling, and so it is with this latest instalment in a line of Fast & Furious films that had its humble beginnings back in 2001 and has gone on to rake in a staggering US$3.9B from the first seven films, and has spawned two short films, video games, toys and model kits, a theme park ride and possible spin-off movies down the track. Following hot on the heels of 'Furious 7' released in 2015, Directed by James Wan and taking a huge US$1.52B at the worldwide Box Office making it the sixth highest grossing film in history currently, here we have this eighth offering this time Directed by F. Gary Gray, and released in the US this week too following its Worldwide Premier in Berlin last week. All the usual cast that we have come to know and love have returned together with a few new faces to add further gravitas to the already ensemble cast.
This film carries on from where 'Furious 7' left off. We see that Dominic Turetto (Vin Diesel) has settled down to a life of domesticity with his newly wed wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and are enjoying their honeymoon together in some far way secluded paradise no doubt. The Brian and Mia characters from the previous films have retired and are out of the game, and the remaining crew have been pardoned and are spread far and wide doing their respective thing. Just when you think the guys were finally getting their lives back in order, enter a criminal mastermind to throw the proverbial brown sticky smelly stuff at the fan! Her name is Cipher (Charlize Theron) who successfully manages to corrupt Dom against his family, his allies and those he is closest to, by coercing him back into a life of crime, from which there seems to be no means of escaping. The crew reassembles and will be put to the test like never before. Also starring Dwayne Johnson returning as Luke Hobbs, Jason Statham returning as Deckard Shaw, Tyrese Gibson returning as Roman Pearce, Kurt Russell returning as Mr. Nobody/Frank Petty, with Helen Mirren, Scott Eastwood and a bunch of others . . . oh, and not to forget a whole cavalcade of expensive sports cars, souped up vehicles, guns, explosions, car chases, crazy fight sequences, technical gadgetry, a tank and a nuclear submarine. 'F8' is sure to fuel the appetite, drive bums on seats, and accelerate the Box Office spend of any self respecting fifteen year old lad who gets off on high octane senseless action fare.
'COLOSSAL' (Rated M) - this Sci-Fi comedy film is Directed and Written by Spaniard Nacho Vigalondo and it Premiered at TIFF back in September last year before its US release last week. Here, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a hard drinking, party hard girl, who can't hold down a job, or a boyfriend either it seems, and after being dumped by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) and kicked out of his Manhattan apartment, she decides its time to return to her home town in a last ditch attempt to regain her life and start afresh. Back on her home turf Gloria reignites her friendship with childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) who just happens to be the owner of a bar, and where he spends the majority of his time hanging out with his best buddies and locals Garth (Tim Blake Nelson) and Joel (Austin Stowell). Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in downtown Seoul, a giant scaly monster is wreaking havoc in the streets like something akin to Godzilla. As the world watches on in disbelief, Gloria from the comfort of her suburban lounge room, inadvertently makes a connection with said scaly monster. In time she comes to realise that when she makes a move, so the monster thousands of miles away replicates those moves identically. How can this be, what does it mean and what must she do to stop the death and destruction of innocent Koreans?
'PERSONAL SHOPPER' (Rated MA15+) - this psychological thriller is Directed and Written by Frenchman Oilvier Assayas and the film Premiered at Cannes last May in competition for the Palme d'Or where is shared the Best Director Award, before its release in France in December and in the US in early March. Here American Maureen (Kristen Stewart) is a personal shopper for wealthy clients buying clothes, accessories and taking care of lesser tasks mostly in her home city of Paris, but her shopping trips often take her to London too and other European centres. Maureen's twin brother died recently and they both shared a genetic heart condition. Before he passed away they made a pact that whoever would go first, would then reach out from the other side and make a connection somehow with the surviving sibling. They both believed they had the ability to connect with the spirit world, but his powers were stronger than hers. Upon visiting the house where her brother died she starts to sense a presence, which manifests itself moreso with text messages, strange sightings and things that go bump in the night from an unknown source. The film has received positive Reviews, and some are saying it is Stewart's best performance to date. 
'DENIAL' (Rated M) - here we have a true story historical drama Directed by Mick Jackson based on American author, Deborah Lipstadt's book 'History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier'. The film dramatises the 1996 Irving v Penguin Books Ltd case, in which Lipstadt, a Holocaust scholar, was sued by Holocaust denier David Irving for libel. In English law the burden of proof rests with the accused, and so Lipstadt and her legal team must fight to prove that the Holocaust did occur. Starring Rachel Weisz at Deborah Lipstadt an American Professor of Holocaust Studies, Timothy Spall as David Irving a Nazi German Scholar and Tom Wilkinson as Richard Rampton the Barrister and Andrew Scott as Solicitor Anthony Julius working for Lipstadt to prove the case for the Holocaust. The film Premiered at TIFF in September last year, was released in the US in late September and in the UK in late January this year, has so far gained generally positive Reviews and has recovered just over half of its US$10M production budget.
'FRANTZ' (Rated PG) - this French and German Co-production is Directed by Frenchman Francois Ozon and is a drama film set in the aftermath of WWI in 1919 and is based on the 1932 American film 'Broken Lullaby' Directed by Ernst Lubitsch which was in turn based on a 1930 play by Maurice Rostand and its 1931 English language adaptation by Reginald Berkeley. The film Premiered in Paris in July last year before its wider release in France in early September and Germany later that same month. It picked up a Venice Film Festival and a Caesar Award win and was nominated in several other categories at these same Awards. Set in the German town of Quedlinburg in 1919 young German woman Anna (Paula Beer) is mourning the death of her fiancé Frantz (Anton von Lucke) who died in combat a year before. One day, Anna is shocked to discover that his grave is visited by Adrian (Pierre Niney), a Frenchman claiming that he and Frantz were friends in Paris before the war. In time the two form a bond as Adrian recounts fond memories of his time spent with Frantz, despite certain ill feeling towards the Frenchman's presence in the town given the scars of the war are still deep and fresh. Nonetheless as their relationship develops Anna follows Adrian back to Paris in the hope of discovering more of his world, understanding him, and determining if her feelings toward him are genuine, or simply a rebound from Frantz. Filmed in black and white with splashes of occasional colour for emphasis.Five very different cinematic choices this week, and whether you like epic big screen action, courtroom drama, historical foreign language drama, Sci-Fi comedy or psychological thriller fare, there is sure to be something for you to get your cinema ticket clipped in the week ahead. Don't forget too to share your movie going views with us right here, when you have done so. In the meantime, I'll see you somewhere, sometime in the week ahead at your local Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
