Furious 7 | Movie Review

In what has become the most ridiculously insane film franchise to ever grace movie screens, The Fast and the Furious returns with its seventh (Yes, 7^th!) installment, Furious 7. This time, our heroes Dom and Brian are being targeted by the elusive badass brother of Fast 6’s baddie, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). In order to get the jump on Shaw, the gang agree to assist a covert government organization, led by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), snatch up a hacker who has invented the most advanced and dangerous tracking software known to man (called God’s Eye of course). You see how ludicrous this all is?!

Explaining the plot to a Fast and Furious movie is akin to informing you of the ingredients in processed food, it doesn’t matter because it’s all about the flavor. Is the plot idiotic? Yep. Is the dialogue and action so over-the-top you can smell cloud? Definitely. Does it ever seem plausible that our government would call on a gang of street racers to help resolve a top-secret and politically volatile situation which essentially allows them to destroy not one but THREE skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi? Not even for a second. Yet you are forgetting the most important question to ask when it comes to this franchise: Is it fun?

The answer to that is HELL YES! From the absurdly fantastic opening introduction to Jason Statham’s character to the final reel, Furious 7 is a living and breathing example of why going to the movies can be so damn fun. This isn’t trying to be art. This isn’t trying to be deeper than it is. This is trying to get your eyes rolling at the same time your fist is pumping. Some people want to trash that experience, screaming to anyone who will listen that films like this are nothing more than the dumbing down of society. If dumb is this fun, I don’t wanna be smart.

At the heart of this franchise is the diverse family that has evolved over several films, specifically the last three. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris…the list just keeps going and going. This is a series so open and welcoming, we can grab anyone we know, head to the theater, and we all can instantly relate. This crew bounce off of each other effortlessly and each film has managed to keep that front and center. Family is the dominant factor, and this family is one just like most of ours these days. Dysfunctional, yet loyal.

Director James Wan (The Conjuring) takes over for Justin Lin this time and he had no idea how big those shoes would be to fill. Lin reinvented this franchise with Fast Five and took it to another level. Then franchise lead Paul Walker tragically died in the midst of filming, leaving Wan and company to reconstruct the script to address the proverbial elephant in the room. Walking in to Furious 7, this was my biggest concern as a fan and a critic: With everything that happened and changed, can this movie manage to thrill in the same way as the other films?

Once again, I declare HELL YES! Wan takes over and somehow manages to even amp up the action. We have cars parachuting onto remote roadways, we have drones in downtown LA, we have helicopters decimating parking garages, we even have cars FLYING from building to building. If you thought James Bond having an invisible car stretched the imagination, wait until you realize these cars basically wear capes.

Statham is a worthy adversary for Dom, and Kurt Russell’s welcome return to action made me smile from ear-to-ear. Still, at this point nothing I say can convince someone to see the 7^th film in a series. You are either in the car or refuse to strap in. So allow me to address the one concern most fans will have walking into the cineplex, spoiler-free of course: How do they handle star Paul Walker’s death in the film?

For this reviewer, Vin Diesel is the muscle of this franchise, but Walker has always been the heart. His effortless charm and sunny,valley-dude optimism are an essential part to what makes these films click. Diesel and Wan have gone on record many times explaining the need to wrap up Walker’s Brian O’Conner character in a way that pays respect to the franchise, but most importantly to Walker himself. They absolutely nail it. If you would have told me 14 years ago when this franchise started that a Fast and the Furious movie could bring my hardened shell to tears, I would have laughed you out of the theater. Yet it did. Much like Brandon Lee’s parting moments from The Crow, the final frames of Furious 7 address our concerns both as an audience and as fans of Walker himself. It is a heartwarming conclusion to an ass-kicking film that many did not predict was possible. Bravo to everyone involved.

Bringing it in to the finish line, this is everything you want in a big-budget action experience. Fast cars, gorgeous characters, adrenaline pumping action, and an ending that warms the heart. This franchise isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely for me. If they continue the franchise, which I am certain they will, the only way to take it any further might be to strap a GTO to the space shuttle. Before the series succumbs to that insanity, Furious 7 is what going to the movies with your own friends and family is all about.

Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham
Written by Chris Morgan
Directed by James Wan

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider