Movies

Big Releases on April 14: The Fate of the Furious; Spark: A Space Tail

Big Picture: The fate of the Furious franchise has never been in question. The insatiable need for speed — and to watch shiny, metal objects explode — has ensured this action series is like high-octane, box office fuel. Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew are like Robin Hood and his Merry Men, only they launch cars instead of arrows (and have fewer campfire hangouts). This time around, Dom goes from hero to heel — seemingly turning on his friends at the behest of a dangerous crime boss (Charlize Theron). She’s described as“the very definition of high-tech terrorism” (which makes for a great business card). The likes of Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Statham are all back for another cinematic tour of duty. Of course, blowing up sports cars is never enough for this bunch. This time they somehow procure a tank, faceoff against a submarine (seriously) and race through a plot that takes them everywhere from Cuba to the Arctic.

Meanwhile, the animated adventure Spark is essentially Curious George meets Le Petit Prince meets Guardians of the Galaxy meets Star Wars. An outcast, teenage simian (with secret royal blood) must meet his destiny facing off against an evil intergalactic emperor named General Zhong. Spark’s“rebel”pals include a smooth-talking fox, a wild boar and a buggy, green sidekick.

Forecast: “Let’s kick some asteroid,”Spark exclaims. It’s wishful thinking when going up against the juggernaut that is Furious, but it probably equals Vin Diesel’s dialogue count. Nonetheless, car chases beat space races.