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New to Home Theaters: The ‘Fate’ lies in their hands

By Tara Rack-Amber trackamber@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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Back for the eighth installment in the high-speed, high-adrenaline franchise, “The Fate of the Furious” is out on Blu-ray and DVD this week.

Trouble brews for the “Fast” crew when Dom (Vin Diesel, “XXX” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”) is seduced into the world of terrorism by a mysterious woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron, “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Monster”).

The film takes the audience on a wild ride through the streets of New York City to the sunny beaches of Cuba to the icy terrain of the arctic.

“Fate of the Furious” marks the first film of the franchise without Paul Walker, who died Nov. 30, 2013 in a vehicle accident.

Brian Tallerico, a reviewer for RogerEbert.com, said that this loss and maybe the new director (F. Gary Gray), might be an easy hook for people to hang the film’s failures on.

“The action scenes are well-done, but the rest is surprisingly dull given what Gray has delivered in the past, leading one to believe he was purely for hire. The spectacle works. That’s something we’ve come to expect. I suspect it will continue to work for a few more films. But if they’re going to rise to the entertainment level they’ve hit before, this series needs someone behind the wheel who can make those narrative valleys between the peaks of the roller coaster ride more memorable. Find a writer who can write more interesting dialogue. Find a director who can add visual flair when cars aren’t going boom. Give your increasingly gigantic supporting cast something to do. Of course, none of this will hold “The Fate of the Furious” back from box office glory. At this point, the destination is predetermined – it’s the journey to it that’s getting exhausting.”

For Sara Stewart, a critic for the New York Post, the film starts out strong, but then starts to drag in the middle before picking back up.

“‘The Fate of the Furious’ begins and ends with adrenaline-spiking scenes–a drag race through Havana, an airplane brawl–that remind you why this gear-head franchise is still purring along. As for the two hours in between … not so much,” she wrote.

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

Other films that arrived on Blu-ray and DVD this week include:

N “The Lost City of Z” starring Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller and directed by James Gray in this true to life adventure film about the British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett who vanished while searching for the long lost city of Z in the Amazon during the 1920s.

The film is rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, brief strong language and some nudity.

N “A Quiet Passion” starring Cynthia Nixon, Emma Bell and Sara Vertongen and directed by Terence Davies in this biographical drama about American poet Emily Dickinson.

The film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, disturbing images and brief suggestive material.

N “Smurfs: The Lost Village” starring the voices of Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson and Joe Manganiello and directed by Kelly Asbury in this animated film about the biggest discovery that the Smurfs have made when they traveled to the Forbidden Forest.

The film is rated PG for some mild action and rude humor.

TV series that arrived on Blu-ray and DVD this week include:

N “The Magicians: Seasons Two” starring Jason Ralph, Stella Maeve and Arjun Gupta in this fantasy series about a group of students, who were recruited to a secretive academy when they find out that magic is indeed real.

N “Class” starring Katherine Kelly, Greg Austin and Fady Elsayed in this sci-fi series from the BBC about the day-to-day goings-ons of Coal Hill School that has been featured in “Doctor Who” over the years.

N “The Missing: Season Two” starring Tcheky Karyo, Anastasia Hille and James Nesbitt in this mystery series about a family vacation that turns into a nightmare when the couple’s five-year-old son disappears.

N “Underground: Season Two” starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Jessica De Gouw in this historical series about American heroes who set out on a journey for freedom on the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman guiding them.

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