The climactic scene with the tank in Fate of the Furious puzzles military expert Nicholas Moran. Released in 2017, the eighth installment of the Fast & Furious saga is one of the most ridiculous, as Dom, coerced by cyber terrorist Cipher, rebels against his beloved family. The film includes all the over-the-top action fans have come to expect from the series, including the climactic scene in which vehicles drive over a glacier and Dwayne Johnson deflects torpedoes with his bare hands.
In a new Insider video, military vehicle historian and armored officer Nicholas Moran evaluates various tank battle scenes in film and television in terms of realism. One of them was the climactic scene on the ice of the tank in Fate of the Furious, which literally shocked him. Ultimately, Moran generously gave the scene a two out of ten rating in terms of realism. Read what Moran said, or watch the video below, starting at 0:34.
“The Ripsaw, which was originally a toy on rails for people to ride, looks exactly like the one featured in the movie. This is because its weight was so light and its weight-to-strength ratio was so high. This thing is incredibly fast and incredibly agile, which obviously got the military’s attention. OK, wait a minute. We have this vehicle that can literally go anywhere very, very fast. Can we do something with this? But the variant the army is considering recently is actually a robotic combat vehicle. I believe it’s called the RCVM and is presented as an M5, and on top, as shown in the clip, is a ranged weapons turret.
“He’s driving on snow and they don’t look like snow tracks. Believe it or not, there are several ways to get better grip on a tracked vehicle on snow. From the snow chains used in World War II to today, you can have wedges that you can remove some plates from the strap and basically wedge into the strap. The vehicle is moving very fast while performing its various tricks on the ice, and in this context it is debatable.
“Other than to follow texture, I can’t think of any reason why a tank-mounted hook would need to be attached. Where the Lamborghini connects is practically underwater and it pulls more than it can handle. Here’s your approach to realism. The door was removed instead of the whole Lamborghini, so I give it a point because it has tracks. And I give him one point because he removed the door instead of the whole Lamborghini, so I give him two points.
The climactic tank scene in Fate of the Furious is far from the only example of unrealistic action in the series. The car magneto scene in F9 has sparked much heated debate about its scientific validity, with astronomer Aaron White dismissing the scene as violating the basic laws of magnetism. Recently, the ridiculous scene in Fast X where Dom’s son Brian Jr. jumps between two moving cars was criticized by all over the internet for being exaggerated, unrealistic, and defying the laws of physics.
Although these scenes have been consistently criticized, the Fast & Furious series has won a passionate group of fans due to its exaggerated and absurd actions. Despite its origins in motor racing, the series has fully evolved into adrenaline-pumping heists and international espionage that push the limits of believability. One of the keys to the series’ success is its self-awareness, and it was at its best when directors like Justin Lin, or F. Gary Gray in Fate of the Furious, fully embraced the concept and engaged in the absurd. are.
Source: Insider