FURIOUS 7 – The Review

Now more than ever before Dominic Toretto and his gang… sorry, family, since he reminds us of this many times… feel less like a ragtag group of hijackers and car thieves and more like a group of superheroes. After seven films of watching these guys narrowly escape death and drive cars under oil tankers and jump through buildings and take down a military jet and even a tank, it seems almost inevitable for the series to embrace the fact that this is a family of super-powered beings that got hit by a radioactive car. Of course, these characters have a lot of heart and are all given amiable character scenes and traits, but in FURIOUS 7, now more than ever before, their logic and gravity-defying stunts reach new heights. Quite literally, as a matter of fact, since we see these cars get dropped from the sky and fly through not one but two buildings. And like any exaggerated comic book film, these stunts result in barely a scratch on their chiseled bodies. All the while I think I got a finger cramp just typing this review.

Director James Wan, sitting in the driver’s seat for the first time in the franchise, seems fully aware of this fact for better or for worse. He’s aware that the tongue is now firmly in the cheek and even gives into this superhero metaphor by showing Hobbs watch a certain mean and green classic hero on the television in one scene. This theme is extended to many of the actions scenes as well. Fans of the series expect these sensational stunts by now. The films have naturally evolved past the point of realism and into pure cinematic escapism. If seeing this motley crew barely escape death all the while speeding around in fast cars and creating vehicular mayhem isn’t quite your speed, then I can’t tell you fast enough to bow out of this race. But for my money, the FAST & FURIOUS is one of the most entertaining cinematic series of my “generation,” and so when I witness Brian O’Connor fly through the air like superman or see Dom stomp with a heavy foot on a crumbling cement floor causing it to weaken more, I accept it because I care for these characters too much to not. I’ve watched them grow for seven highly entertaining films now. This series knows exactly what it wants to be and is very aware of audience’s expectations. With part 7, we may be very far from the amateur street racers that we were first introduced to in the earlier films, that being said, even superheroes become more attune to their powers over time and realize what they are actually capable of.

The film opens with Dom, Brian, and the rest of the FAST family being hunted by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) – the older brother of the 6^th film’s baddie Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). When Dom finds out that Han (Sung Kang) is killed by Deckard in Tokyo, he sets out to avenge Han’s death. It’s through the help of a special forces agent (Kurt Russell) on the trail of a computer program called the “God’s Eye,” that Dom realizes that getting a hold of this program and its programmer might help him get his revenge on Shaw and stop his murderous streak.

FURIOUS 7 introduces a number of new characters into this cinematic universe. The most noteworthy is Jason Statham as our new big baddie. His sinister presence is immediately felt with an audacious and hilarious opening scene that shows exactly what he’s capable of. He lends the film a sense of uneasiness as you feel like he could appear around any corner at any time. A fitting comparison could be made to the original TERMINATOR, as you truly believe he is an unstoppable killing machine. His screen time is quite a bit less than his onscreen brother from the previous film or the once villain now turned hero Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) in FAST FIVE, but he has to also make room for newcomers Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ronda Rousey. Even though his character is listed in the credits as Mr. Nobody, Russell is instantly memorable as an American special teams leader with a dry sense of humor and a penchant for Belgium beer (Yes… the “artisan/craft beer” vs “drinkable beer” debate continues on!) It’s great watching him add some levity to the film in a role that feels in the same vein as his working class smart-ass role from BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

What’s most noteworthy is that the stunts are bigger than ever in the seventh film. There are three major action scenes and they feel like mini movies given how long and multi-faceted they are. While the previous film may have packed more action through a constant barrage of rapid-fire scenes, the action here is relegated to three scenes that are quite impressive given their scope and scale. The highlight is the sequence that begins with the cars dropping from a cargo plane onto a mountain in Azerbaijan. What follows is an exhilarating and smartly staged sequence that feels like a small nod to the high-jacking of the eighteen-wheelers in the original FAST film but done on a much grander scale. Cars explode, barrel down tree-covered rocky hills, and … well… did I mention they fall out of a plane and land perfectly on a road?

The final action sequence really takes the series to the next level by turning an entire section of downtown LA into a giant game of Battleship. Each character has his own mission and is constantly engaged in a fight with either a pipe swinging Jason Statham, a quick on his feet Tony Jaa, or a hi-tech military drone with tracking missile capability. James Wan follows close to the same footprints left behind by Justin Lin and lets the action tell a story. We don’t just see aimless shooting between characters, then cut to an explosion, and end scene. Each action sequence relays character traits and tells a cohesive story that’s easy to follow. Yes, they are a team… shit, I mean family… but they are also individuals, and the closing sequence really shows each mini adventure which ultimately forms a larger and quite impressive action spectacle.

This being Paul Walker’s last ride, there’s an air of inevitability to all the theatrics. His story arc carries much more weight given the unfortunate circumstances. Maybe it’s my own sentimental connection to this franchise, but the additional scenes that were filmed to wrap up his storyline entirely worked for me – the same cannot be said for a few of the clunky dramatic scenes between Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez. Wan and writer Chris Morgan do justice to Walker’s life and legacy which will no doubt be always connected to this franchise. How they conclude Brian’s storyline is appropriate and respectful, no doubt leaving many fans with a tear or two.

FURIOUS 7 (or FURIOUS SEVEN as the opening credits state) will always live on as a somber but memorable moment in this franchise. Exciting races, cool cars, and girls in slinky outfits may be what this series once represented on the surface, but it was the characters and the family angle that kept most of us around after all these years. Explosive summer films come and go during the weekends every year, and yet the FAST & FURIOUS films continue to speed forward showing no signs of slowing down. Although this family lost one of its most important leaders, I can’t help but think that they will live to fight another day, just like any superhero team would.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

FURIOUS 7 is now playing in theaters everywhere