Reviews

I'm confounded by the negative reviews of this film.

Everything from the acting, to the script, to the aesthetic is brilliant. Fiennes's performance is chilling and powerful, yet hilarious.

The supporting cast is equally brilliant, all fulfilling their roles to present the toxic soup of wealth at the centre of this culture warfare film.

I always have time for Anya Taylor-Joy as well. She demonstrates yet again that she is one of Hollywood's greatest young talents.

Probably the best film I have seen in the last two years, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense and dark humour.

I was honestly quite surprised to see such a low rating for this series. Perhaps this is where fandom and belligerence intersect for some viewers, because it certainly deserves a 7/10 or higher.

The character development after two episodes is classically executed (Tolkien would be proud), and they manage to introduce the wide range of characters without confusing the viewer - I would argue that the films suffered from character bombardment. The suspense building adds a great deal to the intrigue of the show - both of these elements are sadly missing from many films/series in the past 10 years.

Stylistically, it deserves top marks. Great aesthetics across the board - though I would have liked a bit more stylistic flair with the Sunder Sea scenes.

I have only seen the first two episodes, and I am honestly looking forward to the rest of the series. So far I am very impressed with cast, writing, and production.

Strongly recommended.

I love sci-fi, so was excited to watch this series. Tried to give it a chance as well, but it suffers from very poor writing, disjointed scenes, and several missed opportunities to build suspense/intrigue.

3/10 might actually be generous.

I don't expect high art when I sign up to watch an F&F franchise film, and that's okay. I have truly enjoyed some of the mindless fun that these films offer.

But the story arc of the series seems to lead the writers to a place where they have to "top" the previous film, rendering the stunts so implausible, that they cease to excite you. The homemade space car that was sent to destroy the enemy satellite was the apex in a long line of childish feats. The rest of it, just lots of cars with magnets. Reminds me of James Bond's invisible car.... Or I dare say this is even worse.

The grittiness and fun of the early films in the series is completely lost now at this stage of the franchise, and all we have left is a sweaty Vin Diesel and his band, trapping us in a terror dome of steroid arms and CGI.

This film is a hard pass. Barely made it to end, though my son forced me to take it there.

My three stars here is an act of generosity.

I don't enjoy being highly critical, and rarely write reviews - HOWEVER, I was compelled to offer my two cents here because I was blown away by how poorly written and executed this film is. Gifted with a talented cast of actors, it just fails to inspire any emotion in the viewer.

In the end, you really just stop caring about what happens to the characters, and indeed the world as a whole in the film. After 30 minutes, I found myself checking how much film was left, in fervent anticipation of the end.

Is it perfect? No.

Is is consummately entertaining, with solid humour and banter? Yes.

Really enjoying this series, though I confess that I am ignorant of its anime roots.

The flow/arc of the film was fantastic - solid amount of action, though it did not overshadow the plot and character development. The story draws you into a world that is erotic, violent, and complex, with a super-charged interpretation of Carlos at the centre.

Great cast. Strongly recommend this film.

This is a truly brilliant extension of the story line for Season 1, with a high degree of respect for the original concept/artistry of the first trilogy of films.

Truly fantastic, and I cannot wait for the second episode. Bravo!

Absolutely superb. Love the plot, the cinematography.

I just watched this at TIFF, and thought it was a very charming film. The performances by Pryce and Hopkins were exceptional - very humorous, and the subtleties of there characters made for a fascinating chemistry. Highly recommended!