‘F8’ can still go fast, just not so furious

Given an action film franchise whose central construct is dog-piling over-the-top action sequences, it is bound to eventually reach that peak where the amusing outrageousness becomes utter ridiculousness.

The term “nuking the fridge” has been used when a film franchise sacrifices all logic for entertainment value. This was coined from the ill-conceived fourth installment of the “Indiana Jones” series in which our hero survived a nuclear blast by sheltering himself in an icebox that was blown hundreds of feet into the air.

“Batman & Robin,” “Moonraker,” “Star Trek: Nemesis,” “Spider-Man 3,” and “Terminator 3” are examples among the long lists of successful series that overstayed their welcome.

I am actually shocked that the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, now in its eighth installment, held on as long as it has. It should not have survived its drifting in Tokyo back in the third film, but it bounced by and really put the rubber to the road in the fifth film, “Fast Five,” in 2011. The franchise began adding new characters into the fold (Dwayne Johnson, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham), who added much-needed charisma to the series, which could not be placed solely on Vin Diesel’s meaty shoulders.

But here we are with “The Fate of the Furious” (or “F8” for all you hipsters). The story has long since shifted from street racing to creating a team of international spies who apparently could use their automotive skills to escape any situation. Each chapter grew bigger and bulkier, and it was only a matter of time until it could no longer sustain the weight of this added cargo. There are still odd moments of insane fun in “Fate,” but in its effort to add more “more-ness,” it loses the levity by hitching to it a trailer full of pyrotechnics, and evolves more into a cross-country road trip with squabbling parents.

It opens with that slab of muscle with a mouth, Dom (Diesel), kicking it in Cuba with his longtime love Letty (played by Michelle Rodriguez). Wouldn’t you know, he gets drawn into a street race, and immediately becomes a hero to all the little street urchins who rush to hug him when he bails from his fiery mass of a car flipping into the sea. (Yes, in this “Fast and Furious” world, illegal street racers are on par with Shaq or LeBron James, apparently).

The following day he crosses paths with Cipher (played by Charlize Theron), one of those amorphous baddies who can hack any computer, at any time, with a simple Google search. But even with all her hacking prowess, she still apparently needs wheels, and she persuades Dom to assist. This is in direct conflict with his posse back home: Hobbs (Johnson), Parker (Ludacris), Roman (Tyrese) and Ramsey (played by Nathalie Emmanuel).

Of course, anyone who has seen even a trailer for any “Fast and Furious” flick knows that there is more than meets the eye with Dom’s seeming betrayal, and we all are left to watch odd things exploding, bad puns and putdowns, gravity-defying and physics-defying stunts, and various other time-fillers until the real purpose of Dom’s switcheroo is revealed.

And for all the characters’ talk of “heart” and “family,” this is the first installment that truly seems to be lacking in either. Not even Theron, whose Furiosa was a magnetic pillar of the latest “Mad Max” film, can help pass the time, since she seems like a villain designed by stuffing a bunch of characteristics through an AI computer. Why does she need Dom in the first place? What’s her endgame? How does she find time to braid her hair like that? The film never slows down for us to answer any of this.

Despite the already overstuffed cast list, they decide to cram another familiar face in “Fate,” that of Helen Mirren. But it’s perhaps the most depressing inclusion (and yes, this is a franchise that gave pop tart Iggy Azalea a role!), not because she’s not welcome, but she’s one of our greatest living actresses, and they find absolutely nothing fun for her to do here.

The same can be said for the film’s audience, who will no doubt flock to it out of pop-cultural necessity, but will leave with little memory of the on-screen exploits, especially as the summer box office is just getting started, and other franchise installments are lining up for pole position.

The series has defied logic by its longevity, so there is no reason it cannot continue with a new model in a few years: it can still go fast, but not be as furious.