Review of Furious 7 (2015) by Omar K — 17 Jul 2015

The Fast and the Furious franchise has revealed itself to be Universal Studiousâ?? highest-grossing franchise as well as the most unexpected comeback for a series that seemed down and out by its fourth outing. But, now the seventh entry has been released, this franchise is building steadily with future instalments on the way, despite the tragic death of its co-protagonist Paul Walker. The first four films in the franchise were too specific to attract a large audience, for they centred on car races and gangs, something seen in plenty of films. But with the fifth entry, this series was given a makeover and expanded its vehicle theme to levels that will be hard for the eighth film to conquer. With Fast Fiveâ??s travelling bank heist on the streets of â??Brazilâ?? (Vin Dieselâ??s voice), and Fast and Furious 6â??s airplane pursuit on a seemingly endless runway, Furious 7 needed to come up with something almost unearthly in order to continue its meteoric rise into the most baloney franchise out there, and it does so by elevating its proven track record of thrill-seeking relentlessness.

Chronologically, Furious 7 is the most up-to-date film in the franchise, finally being set after the events of Tokyo Drift. After defeating Owen Shaw in the previous film and securing their rights to enter the USA, Dom and his crew are hunted by Shawâ??s brother, Deckard, whose dangerous ways have already claimed Hanâ??s life. Dom is aided by a man called Mr Nobody who will assist him in killing Shaw, but requires Dom and his crew to help save the creator of a device that can track anyone down from the hands of a mercenary named Mose Jakande. With Shaw and Jakande helping one another and Dom and his crew travelling from LA, to the Caucasus Mountains and then Abu Dhabi, this showdown will both be epic and emotional for this will be Brian Oâ??Connerâ??s final ever appearance in a Fast and Furious film.

The filmmakers of the last three films in the franchise have found the recipe for the series where fans and critics alike with love what it offers. There are so many car crashes that it can be numbing, but what the film does with its vehicles must be fast and furious to live up to its newfound reputation. From the purposefully executed head-on collision, to parachuting cars from an airplane, to again purposefully driving off a cliff to escape capture, spanner fighting, and the protagonists bulldozing their way in a car through three skyscrapers, but from penthouse to penthouse! Dom should have died at least 5 times, but it seems he is stronger than the cars he drives. Yes, the action scenes are way overblown, but that is the reason they are so fun and stupidly entertaining. These moments are so bananas that they will have you turning to your friend in sheer amazement at how overwhelmingly extravagant this franchise appears to be growing as they constantly pull out of the bag a new way of deflating our expectations with the most wildest outcomes.

The reason why Fast and Furious despite its heavy action background can be enjoyed by everyone without getting repetitive, is its mixture of comedy and emotion in between the action. Tyrese Gibson may be the instigator of most of the comedy, but this film shares the lines providing other characters with a way into the banter. Sometimes the comedy, or the script in general, is so tawdry as the lines that you expect to be said are actually used. If another film without a reputation for numbing your expectations with loud, exaggerated action scenes used some of these lines, then the script would be torn apart, for some lines are so poor. But, because we are watching full-throttled action, only one-line sentences can be given the time of day, for they elevate the action by having the audience interact through their often raucous collection of words. The genius of Furious 7 is that it finds the right time to implement the action, comedy, and then the emotion, without ever drowning you in one more than the other.

The leader of the gang, Vin Diesel, returns as Dominic Toretto. His relationship with Letty doesnâ??t seem to be his priority anymore, it just seems that he is affected throughout by the death of Paul Walker, who appears alongside him in tonnes of scenes. It is more of the same for Diesel though, as he physically battles his way to victory. Paul Walkerâ??s last film is his sixth appearance as Brian Oâ??Conner, but his performance is overshadowed by his death. Due to his scenes being re-shot with his brothers in place of him, at times it does not look like him, but there are hardly any moments of alone time for his character whose main storyline is his difficulty to settle down with his family, which means being retired from the franchise. Dwayne Johnson is absent for a majority of the film, but boy when he appears as Hobbs does he kick ass! Tyrese Gibsonâ??s loud-mouthed Roman Pearce is on full show as he again jokes his way through the film. And Brit Jason Statham doesnâ??t say much as the villain, but his ferocious baldness and intimidating abilities are enough to have Statham act as a lone wolf.

The Fast and the Furious may be in its seventh entry, but its return to the past for creativeness is welcomed. Furious 7 brings back a mixture of hip/hop, rap and reggaeton. Fast and Furious 6 may have neglected its Latino influences that had boosted itâ??s predecessorâ??s closing scenes with the song â??Danza Kuduro,â?? but Furious 7â??s slight use of reggaeton serves it well for it adds an exotic dimension to an already immense franchise. But, Furious 7 brings it back all the way to the beginning, back to Race Wars! This return may be overshadowed by Iggy Azaleaâ??s terrible cameo, but this visit to the past not only bolsters the storyline, but also adds a richness of believability to a franchise that has traversed the globe but has never forgotten its roots.

After all this is Paul Walkerâ??s film as it ends with a touching tribute of his life. Furious 7 is not just a film; you can tell these characters are speaking the words of the script on a personal level for they are saying goodbye to their friend for the last time, in the movie and in real life, making Furious 7 one of the most heartfelt films that has ever been made. Fast and Furious prizes itself on family, and considering it has lost perhaps its most important family member, the emotional resonance is felt because not ever has a filmâ??s content spoke to us in terms of both fiction and reality. Furious 7â??s ending is beautifully poignant, and without a doubt a tear would have been shed in every cinema it was released on. There is an emptiness about the future of this franchise, for it has lost one of its stars, and like a family, when one member is gone, it is extremely hard to ever be the same again.

Poignantly ended as a tribute to Paul Walkerâ??s life, Furious 7 has made sure his spirit lives on with yet another entry of extravagant action, amusing comedy and emotional richness.

â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â?? 8/10.