The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious is in, and it’s good according to first reactions to the upcoming film.

Universal Pictures surprised CinemaCon audiences on Wednesday with an unannounced screening of the eighth film in the franchise and praise spread quickly on Twitter.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Ford said it was perfection, while the trade publication’s Aaron Couch said it is “exactly what you buy your ticket for,” calling out Jason Statham’s film-stealing sequences.

Couch also noted that there are a few “so bad they’re good moments” that the improbable franchise has become known for, including a particularly over-the-top sequence with a submarine.

IMDB’s Keith Simanton said director F. Gary Gray, a newcomer to the franchise fresh off of Straight Outta Compton, is “up to the task.” Slashfilm’s Peter Sciretta wrote that it “takes the ridiculousness to a whole new level, but feels very different.”

And Steven Weintraub of Collider.com singled out Dwayne Johnson in particular who he called a “straight-up superhero.” Johnson, among other things, deadlifts concrete and coaches a girls soccer team. The Fate of the Furious reunites the Los Angeles street racers, including Michelle Rodriquez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Nathalie Emmanuel, taking them to the streets of Cuba, New York, Berlin and to the frozen Russian landscape. Charlize Theron joins as a dreadlocked baddie with nuclear ambitions and Scott Eastwood teams up with Kurt Russell as an agent in training.

Official reviews are embargoed until April 10 before it races into theaters on April 14. /