Fast and Furious 7
Director: James Wan
Actors: Jason Statham, Rhonda Rousey, Tyrese Gibson
Release Date: Friday 3rd April 2015
Running time: 137 minutes
It's tough to talk about 'Furious 7' and not first address the passing of Paul Walker. An integral part of the franchise, his tragic death left the cast, crew and studio in a state of shock. It's a huge credit to newbie helmer James Wan and everyone involved that they've managed to pull off a not just narratively coherent action flick, but an entertaining one, to boot.
They've also paid a thoughtful, touching tribute to Walker that will likely leave audiences in multiplexes around the globe sobbing .
The seventh installment ploughs a similar action-heavy furrow to Fast 5 and 6, as the ensemble cast locate their way from one huge, elaborate action set-piece to another. The heel this time is one Jason Statham, who is obviously enjoying playing the bad guy and fits snugly with the macho, muscular vibe. He promised to hunt them at the end of the last film, and hunt them, he does. Newcomers along for the ride are UFC women's champ Rhonda Rousey and Kurt Russell - the latter bagging far more screen time as a shady government operative.
Wan is far more used to directing intimate horror flicks - so not only is this a huge acceleration in budget, it's also a jarringly different kind of film for him. Luckily, since Fast 5 there's been a formula; the ever-present slick motors cease to be a story and more of a prop in a heist tale, with an underlined tone of "family".
Sure, it's cheesy at points - Diesel's character is particularly incessantly earnest - but the action here is the best of the series and there's more of it, too. New and supporting characters are also handled a bit better, rather than being shoe-horned in as with previous efforts, and there's a nice nod to the third film spin-off, Tokyo Drift; most would agree that they have been forgiven for ignoring 'Drift', never mind making it work within this film's storyline.
When stars of other movies have passed away during production, there's been some dodgy CGI, a hasty rewrite or a jarring edit. Not only have the filmmakers here made a better film than the majority of the others that links nicely with previous installments and characters, it pays a beautiful tribute to its fallen lead.
Never thought you'd get emotional during a Fast and Furious film? Think again. An excellent result, given the obviously trying and tragic context.
