Logic and physics have long vacated the incredibly popular Fast and Furious franchise so it’s no surprise to fans that the latest chapter Furious 7 is more of the same. For a series that started using cars in drag races and is now using them to defy gravity and save the day, this has been a very long road indeed.
Since hitting its series peak of Fast Five, these films have turned into an unofficial Ocean’s Eleven franchise. But instead of George Clooney and a bunch of A-list celebrities stealing fortunes, we have a group of blue-collar outlaws led by the muscular but vocabulary-challenged Vin Diesel. Just as muscular and doubly sweaty is Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs, the lawman tasked to bring in the criminals and their shiny import cars.
Much like the gleeful soap opera it has quickly become, all is well at the beginning of Furious 7, the crew has for the most part split up and nobody has put a spoiler on their shiny import car. But a conflict must always arrive in these movies and it comes in the form of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), the older brother of the recently deceased villain of Fast and Furious 6. Short of using the old twin brother gimmick, this is one of the easiest ways to know what you’re in for with Furious 7. In other words, this is a movie where cars are used as parachutes and battering rams. You are either in for the ridiculous testosterone-filled ride or you’re not.
If you’re a fan of revved engines and loud things that go boom, door number one is your best bet. Otherwise, I’m sure the much quieter Cinderella is playing next door.
Furious 7 is for the most part a straight-forward action film but it does have a few surprises up its sleeve. One of them comes courtesy of director James Wan. He’s new to the Fast and Furious series and up to this point has mostly made horror films like Saw and The Conjuring. He’s definitely an interesting choice for the director’s chair and his knack for building tension in a scene pays off with multiple audience cheers throughout this movie. His signature is all over Furious 7, from the framing of huge set pieces to the more intimate moments between characters. He makes certain lines of dialogue work that would be butchered by a less experienced leader behind the camera.
And speaking of Wan, it should be noted that he and his production team have addressed the elephant in the room without being cheap or insensitive. For those unaware, actor Paul Walker was one of the foundations of the Fast and Furious franchise and he passed away while filming this movie. It put the studio and filmmakers in a difficult position when finishing Furious 7 but his exit from the series is handled with class and respect.
If you’re a fan of this series, you know what you’re in for and you already have a ticket. For the curious and uninitiated, grab some popcorn and enjoy yourself. It’s much better than Cinderella.
Rating: B
Furious 7 opens in theatres nationwide April 3.
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