Explosive and action packed, “Fate of the Furious” is moving steadily towards hitting the $1 billion revenue mark after already smashing box office records with its monumental gain of $772.4m. The eighth film in the seemingly neverending film franchise follows its predecessors in their trend of straying farther and farther from the movie series’ 2001 street racing roots and moving towards evolving into a superhero-esque spy film series.

When Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are honeymooning in Cuba, Dom is taken aside by a woman who informs him that his team will be put up against a force they will not be able to defeat. The woman whose identity is later revealed as the supervillain Cipher (Charlize Theron)  then proceeds to blackmail Dom to the extent she is able to  recruit him to complete a dangerous mission.

Cipher’s goal is to have Dom assist her in  stealing Nuclear Launch codes that will award her  ultimate control over the world’s leading powers. She has eyes and ears all over the world and is instantly able to tap into any street cameras from the convenience of her lair making her practically untouchable.

Unmistakably the most unique sequence of the film comes when Cipher hacks into the self driving automobiles around NYC to have them fall from parking garages and chase down Dom’s original team who threatens to dissolve her villainous plans. Charlize Theron’s acting abilities really enhance the character’s wicked nature in a way that evokes genuine hatred from the audience as any effective movie villain should.

Undoubtedly the most far-fetched crazy film in the franchise thus far “Fate of the Furious”  also proves to be the most historic.  Not only is it about to gain membership to the exclusive club of films to have grossed over $1 billion  it was the very first American film production to partially take place in Cuba since the U.S. economic embargo was imposed.

The vibrant and colorful opening scene of the film, where Dom races an old nearly broken down car against a 1956 Ford Fairlane,  is the first U.S made movie scene to have ever taken place in the culturally rich Havana Cuba.

“Fate of the Furious” marks the second film in the series to not feature star Paul Walker, and also marks the first “Fast and Furious” film to be made since his passing in 2013.

The cast’s chemistry felt partially unwhole in Walker’s absence but as usual the film’s characters laid on the comedy and exuded their  iconic personalities known well by the franchise’s fans. Most of the film’s comedy came from Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson)  but he was assisted in his comedic attempts by Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and Ian Shaw (Jason Statham.)

For long time fans it may be peculiar and disheartening  to watch the latest installment of the franchise when it doesn’t feature one of its most iconic characters; however, with the film’s fast paced action, explosive energy and conclusive tribute to Walker  “Fate of the Furious” makes a valiant attempt at compensating for his absence while still honoring his legacy.