The Fate of the Furious - Hollywood's Most Expensive Self-Parody

I'm not gonna lie.... I never caught on to this ongoing gag that the Fast and Furious sequels were essentially self-parodies up until this point. Granted, the sequels are certainly more exciting and stylish in the second half of the series than they have been in the first, but to go as far as to call them self-parodies would be a stretch; 5, 6, and 7 are not really any more over-the-top than any other action-packed blockbuster these days. However, this is not the case with the 8th film in the series, as the film drenches itself in self-parody and extravagantly over-the-top stunts..... And I loved every second of it! The Fate of the Furious is, thus far, one of the more exciting blockbusters I have seen this year!

The film starts with Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, and Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez, on their honeymoon, which soon gets interrupted by a woman known as Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, who, through some secret leverage, forces Dom to turn against his crew and commit a series of crimes that would send the world at war once more. However, Letty holds hope that Dom isn't doing this intentionally and proposes that they attempt to retrieve Dom to get some answers out of him.

If you're going into this flick expecting something practical or plausible, let me shut off those expectations here and now. The stunts here are so unpractical and insane that anybody with a Physics degree would most likely lose their mind. On the flip side of that, though, they're so insane and over-the-top that you can't help but not only keep your eyes on it, but feel the thrills and excitement of every stunt. Where else are you going to see tanks and new model cars chasing after a submarine in the Arctic? Seriously, name one other movie.

As far as comedy goes, there's a lot more of it than there was in the previous flicks. Granted, Roman Pearce had a lot of funny lines in the previous movies, but while he still has his share here, many of the other characters have their slices of the banana pie as well. The Rock and Jason Statham in particular have this ongoing chemistry that is just a riot every time they're on screen together.

The only problem I have with this flick is the villain, Cipher. Her character is very one-dimensional, not having very many clear motives for what she does other than to just send the world into chaos just because somebody has to be the antagonist, and Charlize Theron's performance is very one-note, having a monotone vocal and facial expression in which it just sounds like she's reading her bland lines. Some might argue that this is just part of the self-parody aspect, but in that instance, I probably would have liked a more over-the-top, funny villain (like Jason Statham in Furious 7) over this stick in the mud.

All in all, though, I had a blast with The Fate of the Furious. The stunts are impressive in their over-the-top fashion, the characters are a lot of fun, and the direction is slick as always. It's not a perfect movie, but it's thrilling and hysterical in spite of its flaws.... in some instances, even due to its "flaws". I recommend it for anyone looking for a fun time at the theater!

My rating:

10 Internet Memes That Should Have Their Own Movie

(Note: This blog entry is mostly satirical. If Hollywood actually makes any of these movies (except for the last one), I will bash my head up against the wall until it is physically impossible for me to see anything, let alone movies.)

So, this little brat is getting her own TV show now.... Hoo-freakin-rah. (Funny, I kinda thought Fox News WAS her TV show.) This got me thinking, though... If we're putting the greenlight on this annoying little girl, why not shine the light on all sorts of memes? I mean, heck, if Emojis can have their own movie, why not? So, today, I'll be counting off the Top 10 internet memes that I think deserve their own movies!

Now, for this list, I've picked mostly original memes, and not anything based off of a movie or TV show; Spongebob has two movies already, Futurama has four, and don't even get me started on the Muppets! These are the fresh, new memes that hold the potential for some solids blockbuster epics!

1.Harmabe

I'm surprised Disney Nature hasn't gotten the rights to creating a documentary biopic on this beloved creature! Think of all the potential for high-stake drama in this scenario.... A gorilla trying to protect a child that fell into the cage, and he gets shot? Oh, what a powerful epic that would make!

2.Roll Safe

I can see it now.... A Black Dynamite-style exploitation movie about a man who has less common sense than the average man, but at the same time, more so. "Those terrorists can't blow up the orphanage if I don't see an explosion." Smooth!

3.Boardroom Suggestion

Think about it: A powerful drama about a man on a board of directors whose ideas are so poorly received that he gets thrown out the window every time he brings up an idea.... Oh, the social commentary it would have on the crappy ideas that the media keeps putting out! (Which is probably why a movie about it will never get made.)

4.Baby Godfather

Heck, if they could make a movie like The Boss Baby (which I WON'T be reviewing or seeing, BTW), they could sure as heck convert one of the greatest films in cinematic history to this adorable little convention! Just imagine a baby waking up to find his teddy bear's head in there with him! Shoulda gave the BG that ride-on tractor, buddy.

5.Awesome Face

Picture this: In a world of sad faces, one face dares to be different from the rest.... And that face is AWESOME FACE! If he's not gonna get his own movie, let's at least hope he gets even a brief cameo in the new Emoji movie.

6.Antoine Dodson

See here. End of conversation.

7.Stick Figure Guy

We've seen him spit cereal, accept challenges, flip tables, and even take his finger down speechless. Whatever the case, this guy's been so famous that he basically has to get his own movie! I mean, it would be the cheapest animation anybody could put out! Seriously, Hollywood.... MAKE IT HAPPEN!

8.Trollface

Even more famous than Awesome Face is Trollface. It may seem like a stretch, but I could see this guy being in a Wreck-It Ralph kind of movie where he strives to be a more upbeat internet meme only to find that there would be no internet without his snarky trolling! Oh, what a social satire that would be....

9.Grumpy Cat

Ah, our favorite mad face.... I'm not gonna lie, there were a lot of cat and dog memes to choose from, but again, Grumpy Cat has become so famous across the internet that it would be inevitable to at least attempt a movie with him. Imagine an entire hour and a half where his family does everything in its power to cheer him up, and he still can't smile for a second. What a wild road trip that would be!

10.Stephanie Lenz

Alright, let me take off the satirical glasses for a second and be real.... A real-life court drama based off of the Stephanie Lenz case could be essential in this day and age. Now, for those who don't know, Stephanie Lenz posted this video onto Youtube of a baby dancing to the Prince song, Let's Go Crazy, and received a copyright strike via Youtube's copyright claim system. She took this case to court, and as a result, a new law was set up stating that copyright owners must consider fair use before filing a take-down notice. The copyright/fair use battle has been an enormous issue in today's internet society, and I feel like it's high time that a filmmaker out there, independent or otherwise, delivers on the potential to turn that conflict into a powerhouse drama.

Do you agree with this list? What other crazy ideas do you have to turn internet sensations into cinematic sensations? Post yours in the comments below! Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Ghostbusters (2016) (Power Rangers Style!)