It’s pretty unbelievable we’re up to the seventh film in The Fast & The Furious series. The words in the titles may have juxtaposed and the casts have mixed and matched over the years, but needless to say Furious 7 holds true to the core themes of the series. Loyalty and family remain as important as the action, tricked out cars and physics defying stunts.
At the conclusion of the last installment, the series finally caught up to the rather unorthodox timeline switcharoo courtesy of the third entry Tokyo Drift (which now chronologically takes place right after Fast & Furious 6. Got that?). Jason Statham was revealed as the villain responsible for the death of Han (Sung Kang) which served as the cliffhanger set-up for Furious 7, and really hit home the when Vin Diesel’s Dom Torrento”
The on-screen / off-screen family took a heavy hit with the tragic passing of Paul Walker halfway during production. The cast and filmmakers were left with tough decision on how to proceed without him. I’m happy to report that the film provides a fitting tribute to the late actor while delivering the signature insane action balanced with values of family loyalty that will by the end credits leave fans of the series with damp eyes and heavy hearts.
When we rejoin the series, there is no time wasted in introducing Jason Statham as the unstoppable killing machine Deckard Shaw out for vengeance for the sound defeat of his younger brother, who happens to be the international terrorist Owen (Luke Evans) in London at the conclusion of Fast & Furious 6. After Shaw takes out Han, he sets his sights on the rest of the Furious family, who have been living happy lives outside of the high octane theft ring.
Nobody is safe back home. Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), Mia (Jordana Brewster), their son and Dominic Toretto (Vin Deisel) are nearly killed in an explosive trap set by Shaw. Even federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) gets a whupping by Shaw, who is no lightweight in hand-to-hand combat when he needs to steal digital files to track down his intended targets.
But the actual main push of the plot sees Toretto and the team recruited by a mysterious black ops agent known as Mr.Nobody (Kurt Russell) to rescue Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuele) the creator of God’d Eye, a piece of super tech that can tap into any device equipped with a camera, making it the most advanced surveillance tool imaginable.
The mission takes Dom, Brian, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) across three continents to engage in numerous new physics defying action sequences we’ve come to expect in the series. The stunts and comic book worthy action as always spare no expense on spectacle or budget. The crowing jewel of the film is a near twenty minute thrill ride through the Caucasus Mountains in Azerbaijan that starts off with cars being dropped and parachuted onto a remote highway and ends with a gripping conclusion. It’s scenes like this that provide moments that showcase the individual cast members personalities and the chemistry among the team that brings us back for each film.
That’s not to take away from the huge concluding action set piece on the streets of LA as well as the, no spoiler here, the absolutely unreal scene stealer where Dom and Brian jump a stunning million dollar car through three skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi. Sections of the film like this push the script’s blatant disregard for basic logistics. As fans we’ve thrown physics out the window long ago, but F7‘s attention to details like how does a group of unruly Americans manage to escape (much less leave without getting arrested) from buildings in Abu Dhabi that they have just torn to shreds? Other things like going on missions without a shred of body armor or sufficient firepower seem to offenses repeated throughout.
But there is of course the obvious scramble by the film makers and screenwriter Chris Morgan to deliver a film that was coherent and at the same a time worthy tribute in the wake of Paul Walker’s death. The lack of intricate plot points and overall jumpiness of the story in comparison to the last three entries suggest there was massive restructuring to do, which is understandable when one of the lead actors tragically isn’t there to complete the second half of production.
There is also the inevitable overbearing lurking sense of dread each time Brian O’ Connor finds himself in a life threatening situation. You can’t help but feel at any moment O’ Connor may not make the hero’s last second escape from certain death. The ground work for the character’s swan song is present throughout the film, and the in the fashion he exits the series is truly beyond a commendable accomplishment by the all involved with the production.
While the sense of family is never on the back burner, there is still a feeling that the family has retreated somewhat with the absence of Han and Gisele (Gal Gadot). Additionally Jordana Brewster’s Mia and Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs have a surprising scant amount of screen time for this round.
Also new to this chapter is director James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring), stepping in for Justin Lin who directed the fourth to sixth installments. While a master of low budget, but highly profitbale, horror movies may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to take the driver’s seat, Wan definitely displays the necessary chops to keep the series going full speed ahead. He even adds some camera acrobatics to fight scenes that literally turn the action upside down.
Furiuos 7 marks another successful pulse pounding and overall insanely entertaining entry in the high octane series. The film delivers the high level of physics defying stunts we expect and boasts another outstanding turn from the amazing charismatic cast. Moving forward without Paul Walker will be no easy task, but the film pays proper tribute to their friend and family member while at the same time allows the film to look ahead for further fast paced adventures.
Furious 7 speeds into theaters and IMAX on April 3rd.
REVIEW RATING: ★★★★★
Director: James Wan
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Statham and Kurt Russell.
Screenwriter: Chris Morgan
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 140 minutes
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