Director: James Wan
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Dwayne Johnson, Lucas Black, Kurt Russell, Djimon Hounsou, Nathalie Emmanuel
Rating: B+
Rev up your engines and fasten your seat belts, Furious 7 is a joy ride from start to finish. This 7th installment of the popular franchise is all about superheroes on wheels doing things that defy all logic. So throw out your reasoning skills at the door and just enjoy the race on steroids of the good guys chasing down the bad guys.
The story opens with villain Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) visiting his brother who is in recovery at the hospital after being put there by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his motley crew of mobile Avengers. Deckard is hell bent on getting revenge for those that would mess with his baby bro, and sets out on an assignation rampage.
Dominic learns from government official Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) of a device called “The God’s Eye” which can be used to track a person down no matter what corner of the world that individual may be hiding. The all-seeing contraption is just what Dominic needs to find Deckard and stop him from killing off his partners, who he views as being just like family. To get control of “The God’s Eye” Dominic and his team must retrieve Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), a beautiful computer hacker who is in the clutches of Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), a dangerous terrorist that wants the device for his own treacherous purpose.
Filled with exhilarating action sequences that never stop, Furious 7 can be a bit overwhelming but still keeps you very entertained. Dominic and gang travel from London to LA, Abu Dhabi, and Azerbaijan in pursuit of the device while Deckard is always miraculously on their heels. Never mind how Deckard always knows where to find his targets, he just shows up and the result is mayhem fun. Cars dropping from planes, people switching cars at high speed while spinning at 360 degrees, one of our heroes running on top of a bus that is about to fall off a cliff, an overly priced vehicle flying into high rise buildings while passengers are inside… all of this makes up just a few of the thrills we will see in Furious 7. And, those that like old fashioned hand to hand combat will see plenty of fist fights that will bring on a cheer or two. To see it is to believe. The stunts in this movie are super spectacular and will leave many talking about how cool the impossible looked for a long time to come.
The supporting cast consisting of Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson do a fine job adding a little more punch to the storyline. A special note has to be made about the filmmakers completing the movie without Paul Walker. Sadly, Walker passed halfway through production, but with CGI effects and body doubles (Walker’s real life brothers) the film is seamless, and Paul still gets to shine as a key character in the story. One of the best moments of Furious 7 is a fitting and beautiful tribute to Paul Walker that gives the beloved actor a loving final send off.
This crazy, ridiculous, loud, far-fetched movie that escapes all rationale is nothing but intoxicating entertainment! Fans of the franchise are in for a real treat. And in case you’re wondering, the movie ends with plenty of room for more, so stay tuned – I am sure The Fast and the Furious 8, 9, and 10 are on the way.
