Why you should see The Fate of the Furious right now

If features a pair of allegedly feuding Hollywood actors and includes a scene in which a car jumps over a submarine.

But The Fate of the Furious could be one of the best action movies released this year, judging by early reviews.

The eighth film in the Fast franchise features Vin Diesel, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Charlize Theron, and hits New Zealand cinemas today.

Jason Statham in The Fate of the Furious. Photo/AP

Critics are raving about it. On review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 80 per cent approval rating.

Variety reviewer Owen Gleiberman gave the film four stars, calling it "pulp done smart".

"Scene for scene it's elegant rather than bombastic, and it packs a heady escapist wallop," he wrote.

The Guardian said the film's pace was so fast you barely had time to question how implausible many of its action scenes were.

"Things race along at such a ferocious lick you scarcely have time to question the moments of incongruity (chiefly, how can so many supercars be also somehow explosion-retardant)."

And Total Film called it "a very big, exceedingly dumb thrill ride".

Even those who seemed impressed by how far the film takes its action scenes.

"There's no 'back to basics' here, it just gets even more insane," wrote Tom Eames on Digital Spy. "They haven't quite gone to the moon yet, but it's getting there."

And TimeOut called it "a soap opera that just happens to cost millions of dollars and feature souped-up sports cars jumping over submarines".

The Fate of the Furious is in theatres now, and is just one of several movies being released in time for the long weekend.

Others include A Silent Voice, Bolshoi Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty, Dance Academy: The Movie, Denial, Manje Bistre, Personal Shopper, The Boss Baby and Their Finest.