Who would have thought that 14 years after the first ride, this seventh installment of The Fast & The Furious franchise could still be as fresh and enjoyable as it ever has been? I have to say this latest chapter may be the most satisfying and most emotional one yet. It’s satisfying because it delivers what all popcorn films should, unrelenting action and over the top stunts.It’s also quite emotional given the real life tragic death of star Paul Walker. In between the bullets and high octane driving, there were moments where you couldn’t help but pause and reflect on the character of Brian O’Connor and the man who portrayed him. Every near death scene for Brian was met with a gasp from the audience. Is this where it happens? Is this where he dies? Warning spoilers ahead…
Furious 7 isn’t about that. At its heart, it’s about family. It has always been about family. Furious 7 (think of the Magnificent Seven instead of simply the seventh film in the series) centers around a revenge seeking Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) whose brother Owen was put out of commission in the last film. Shaw is an indestructible ex black ops British solider. After he nearly destroys the hospital that cares for his little brother, he obtains the identities of all those responsible. He even puts Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) out of commission for most of the film. From there, he systemically starts taking down members of Dom’s team starting with Han in Tokyo, as scene in the ending credits of the last film and repeated here in this one.
To make things more interesting, Dom and his team are recruited by U.S. Government operative, Kurt Russell to retrieve a device called God’s Eye and its caretaker, a hacker named Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). They need to do this before the device gets into the hands of a terrorist warlord (Djimon Hounsou). Once Dom can secure the device, he will be allowed to use it to track down Shaw and “do what is necessary.” I will admit to being a fan of this series but to be honest, it has morphed into something quite different from its original turf war and racing for slips to something out of James Bond or Mission: Impossible. Especially when you factor in the physics defying car stunts and hi-tech toys that are favorite characters get to do and play with respectfully.
Do they save the day? Of course they do after destroying a good part of L.A. in the process that would rival any earthquake. In the end, Shaw gets what was coming to him by the hands of Dom and God’s Eye is in the right hands.
As for Paul Walker’s Brian O’Connor, all I’ll say is that he’s home, he’s where he should be and to quote Dom, “it’s never goodbye.” It was a very respectful ending filled with emotion and tribute. Godspeed Paul Walker, may you rest in peace.
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, Jordana Brewster and Nathalie Emmanuel
James aka “The Dork Knight” is a blogger and writer based out of Upstate New York. For James, it all started with a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… when he dragged his mom to see The Empire Strikes Back 10 weeks in a row. He lives and breathes nerd culture. James is proof that a Star Wars fanatic can be a passionate Trekkie as well. So much so James dressed up as Captain Kirk to the premiere of Star Trek VI in 1991 and still has the uniform.
When it comes to Comic Books, Sci-Fi or Fantasy whether in print or digital, in the theatre or on my TV screen, I’m all about it and I love it. So bring your Phaser (set to stun), Lightsaber, Sonic Screwdriver, a Wand, Mjolnir or the Ring to rule them all, because this site is for the dork in all of us.
