Furious 7 Reviews

First of all, to be honest, I have never been a huge fan of this franchise and except for a decent 5th installment, all these movies really bored me, even the most recent entries. Still, since this last installment completely broke the box-office, I was quite eager to check it out but, unfortunately, once again, I didn't care much for the damned thing. This time, it became some kind of 'Mission: Impossible' copycat which was as ridiculous as it sounds. Seriously, the story was just so preposterous but I could have forgetten its silliness if it would have been slightly more entertaining. At least, there were 2 really cool action scenes (the one when Paul Walker jumps from a falling bus and the other one when they crash through 2 towers with a supercar) but the rest was just rather boring, I'm afraid. For some reasons, since Paul Walker passed away during the production, I was expecting his character to be killed at some point but I realised eventually that it would have been really tasteless and the way they simply retired his character was much more appropriate and easily one of the best moments in this otherwise tedious movie. Furthermore, I was surprised to discover that Walker only managed to shot half of his scenes but, while watching the damned thing, I thought it was really him almost all the time so they did a pretty good job here. Anyway, to conclude, I'm rather amazed that this movie turned out to be such a massive box-office success and I don't think it is really worth a look, except  if you are really a fan of this franchise.

The extended version allows some feeling (Paul's farewell to family, Ramsey definition of the group, Letty's recovery of memory). The flying carse are the best routine of the film. A good entrance for a 'no fan' of the series.

Initial Thought: I have been watching this series since it started. I have even seen Los Bandoleros. The first one honestly was my least favorite, but the sequels just keep getting better in my opinion. It's probably because I never used to be much of a fan of racing stories. So when they changed up the formula a bit for me it got more interesting. I really like the cast and the new additions in this one make me even more interested. Also have to watch this for the memory of Paul Walker. He was a really enjoyable actor to watch.

Characters/Acting: Well all of our main crew returns for this which I really like. Plus we get old friends showing up again as well as a few new ones. We also get some pretty cool new enemies as well. I have to say the line up here is truly a great selection. It's good to see Nathalie Emmanuel in something other than Game of Thrones! I love Iggy Azalea so I don't really care what others think. I can't wait to see her 5 seconds of screen-time haha. Even if it really does nothing for the story. I wish Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey were in this more. They still get to do what they are good at but nothing really beyond that. Jason Statham as a villain is just wicked awesome. He is the kind of villain you just can't help but enjoy. Ludacris and Tyrese are still the great comedic duo they have been since they started working together. Nathalie was just as great as I thought. She is incredibly intelligent with all the right equipment if you get what I'm saying haha. Dwayne Johnson felt like a glorified cameo here. He was still fun and awesome to watch, but he just wasn't in it very much. Paul Walker is the heart and glue of this series he will be sorely missed. His send off was tastefully done. I sure hope they won't be thinking to put Lucas Black in his spot though. He was basically a cameo to link this with Tokyo Drift. Vin Diesel is awesome as usual and with his speech in the end I respect him even more. Everyone here did a wonderful and entertaining job.

Story: Well we have fast cars during car chases. We also have a brother out for revenge of those who put his brother in a coma. I mean this is a pure adrenaline action movie. The story only adds to the fun of the action. I don't get why the beginning starts off as if the end credit scene of the last movie hadn't happened. I found that a little bit odd. They probably changed up the continuity because of Paul Walker though. I have to admit the stunts here are completely ridiculous in reality, but they are always quite fun to watch. Who cares about physics! We have car chases, badass hand and weapon combat, and some pretty great shootouts. Although the matched up fights here would have the heroes win if they were fair fights. The ending was beautiful and a great tribute to a wonderful actor. If they still go through with making the next sequels it's going to be so different. The atmosphere of the whole thing just feels like it will have a great big empty hole.

Directing/Writing: Gary Scott Thompson is behind all the characters from this series except the Tokyo Drift film. He is also the guy who unfortunately made the Hollow Man films possible. Chris Morgan wrote the previous 4 films so this guy is really grabbing my attention. He even brought us Wanted and 47 Ronin. The guy worked with Jason Statham on Cellular as well not the best movie, but it was watchable. James Wan one of the most mainstream horror directors takes on an action film. I have to say this is really an interesting choice. I loved Dead Silence and enjoyed The Conjuring. Even Saw (he only wrote the third part, but I loved that one too) and Insidious: Chapter 2 were good. I'm not a big fan of Lin Shaye though. I really wish he would stop giving her work. It shall be interesting to see his take on the Fast & Furious saga. They did a great job with body doubles and CGI because I couldn't ever tell what scenes Paul Walker wasn't actually there for. That is a pretty impressive feat. I honestly don't even want to know. For a horror director to make something this great is incredible. He truly captured the essence of the Fast & Furious family. I really have mad respect for the director that never worked in the franchise to make the most enjoyable entry.

Final Thought: I have to admit I teared up with the tribute for Paul Walker. It was Vin Diesel not Dom giving the speech at the end, but it still worked for the film. Just as I expected this one topped the last one by far. This is a fun action packed thrill ride with a message at it's heart. Keep your family close and love them no matter what. You never know what will happen next. For fans of the series if you haven't seen it yet you should. I also think fans of Paul Walker should check it out too for the tribute. It's going to be hard to imagine this saga without it's heart, but I will watch them hoping they don't try to put someone in his spot. Anyways I absolutely enjoyed this movie.

"This time it ain't just about being fast."

Franchise fatigue is beginning to set in with 2015's Fast & Furious 7 (or Furious 7, continuing the tradition of confusing and inconsistent titles), the latest entry in this long-running series of car-based blockbusters. After the franchise received a fresh boost of life with the unbelievably great fifth instalment in 2011, the cookie-cutter formula is becoming stale once again, even though there's fresh blood in the form of Australian horror luminary James Wan replacing series mainstay Justin Lin. It's impossible to review Furious 7 without discussing its troubled production - originally set for release in 2014, less than a year after Furious 6 hit multiplexes, the team lost star Paul Walker to a fatal car crash before filming wrapped, leaving Wan and returning screenwriter Chris Morgan to figure out how to complete the picture without its long-time lead. Furious 7 is fundamentally review-proof since it fulfils all that's required of it, but at this point in the series, a little more effort would be appreciated.

After his brother was paralysed and left in hospital following the last adventure, master black ops assassin Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is determined to exact revenge on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew. Shaw makes his presence known with a bang, putting Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in critical condition and sending Han (Sung Kang) to the morgue before setting off a bomb in L.A. that almost kills Dominic, his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), and his old pal Brian (Walker). Into the fray soon steps Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), an enigmatic government agent who enlists the help of Dominic and co. to retrieve the powerful God's Eye program designed by a hacker named Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). If they help out Mr. Nobody, they can use the God's Eye to find Shaw. Thus, Dominic and the usual suspects - including Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), and Tej (Ludacris) - head overseas, but they are unable to escape the shadow of Shaw, who enlists the help of terrorist Jakande (Djimon Hounsou) and his team of gunmen.

Statham is a tremendous villain who represents a major threat to the cast, and his abilities are showcased in a vicious early brawl against the behemoth Hobbs. But Morgan's screenplay doesn't trust in the standard revenge formula, concocting an overly convoluted storyline involving a high-tech device and a team of terrorists led by the vaguely-defined Jakande, who's naturally out to kill Dominic's crew and obtain the God's Eye. Such secondary content was evidently included to allow for high-speed heist sequences and other sorts of car mayhem that we have come to expect from the series, but it feels too forced and leaden as a result, in need of snappier pacing and a stronger sense of urgency. (And seriously, the car stuff might be this franchise's bread and butter, but it is starting to get old.) Plus, the crew are only out to retrieve the God's Eye to make it easier to track down Shaw, which seems superfluous since he's perpetually showing up wherever they go.

Furious 7 is the longest entry in the franchise so far, clocking in at a colossal 140 minutes, and it certainly feels its length. Morgan, who has written all instalments since Tokyo Drift, sticks by all the proverbial franchise chestnuts, giving the cast ample time to grunt atrocious dialogue at each other (every second word is still "family") in between all the big action sequences. Diesel takes the lead here and does most of the heavy lifting, which may have been out of necessity after Walker's death, paving the way for the actor to take over the franchise.

The major selling point of this saga has always been its reliance on practical effects and real car stunts. If anyone were to continue this tradition, it would be Wan, a man from the school of low-budget filmmaking whose previous action outing, Death Sentence, was vehemently old-fashioned. Unfortunately, Furious 7 is more reliant on CGI, which detracts from the sense of excitement. Sure, there are still impressive car stunts here, and people are still risking their lives for various shots, but there are also digital effects here, and they are obvious.

Thankfully, there are nevertheless some entertaining action sequences to behold, most notably when Wan leaves the cars and allows the characters to engage in fisticuffs and shootouts. Statham is a gifted fighter, and he's well-matched with both Johnson and Diesel. To Wan's credit, the fights are not one-sided - Statham is not some untalented patsy but a genuine threat who matches his opponents every step of the way. To spice up the action, Thai martial artist Tony Jaa shows up as an enforcer for Jakande who mostly brawls with Walker. It's a bit of a throwaway role, and Wan doesn't take full advantage of Jaa's immense talents as a fighter, often burying the action in edits and frenetic camerawork. It defeats the purpose of casting Jaa, really. MMA star Rousey shares a similar fate, and to make matters worse, she is a truly terrible actress, showing once again after The Expendables 3 that she cannot cut it as a thespian.

The big question on everyone's lips is how Walker is treated, with scenes filmed following his death featuring body doubles (most notably Walker's brothers) sporting a digital face. To the credit of the filmmakers, it is seamless, and it's never entirely clear when we're seeing a CGI Paul, but his presence is definitely dialled down; he's mostly in the background or shrouded by low lighting or restrictive camera angles. Luckily, Wan and Morgan have devised a fitting, respectful exit for Walker's Brian, with a loving tribute to the actor which closes the feature that may leave some with damp eyes. Some have decried that it's impossible to watch Walker in precarious scenarios driving real fast due to the circumstances of his tragic death, but Walker would likely be insulted by such haters - this is what he loved doing, and it's an appropriate end for his career.

Furious 7's cast is genuinely tremendous, with a lot of big names to stir up interest. Beyond the usual crew, there's Statham, Russell, Hounsou, and the aforementioned Jaa and Rousey. Say what you will about Statham's acting abilities, but he excels as an action star and has a strong screen presence. As the villain here, Statham is perfect, with a steely, cold demeanour making him spot-on as a ruthless military-trained killer. The Stath is so perfect, in fact, that you could be forgiven for rooting for him. Russell, meanwhile, is ideal here, showing that he still has what it takes to be a badass despite his advanced age. As for the returning cast, the likes of Walker, Rodriguez and Brewster are just fine. Tyrese Gibson, however, once again shows up as the try-hard comic relief, and he's awful. Surely there are sufficient funds in the budget for an actual comedian? Meanwhile, despite being such a major presence in the past couple of instalments, Dwayne Johnson is side-lined for most of the proceedings here, leaving us to suffer through scene after scene of Diesel, who is not an overly interesting or competent actor. Since the movie's events are tied into Tokyo Drift, Lucas Black returns as Sean Boswell, but his presence is mercifully short, amounting to a mere cameo. Black was intolerable in Tokyo Drift with his exaggerated American drawl, so it's a relief that he doesn't join the team or become a lead here.

Cars go real fast, explosions are big, and action is, well, furious, but Furious 7 is never hugely involving at any point due to its complicated, leaden storytelling. It's a typical Hollywood big-budget blockbuster, though at least it's not as abominable as Michael Bay's regular output. It would seem that Fast Five, in the long run, is more of a lucky fluke than genuine franchise revivification.

6.1/10