Not the Fastest, But the Most Furious

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2015)

I doubt anybody who was in any way involved with The Fast and The Furious (2001) had ever been bold enough to predict that this series could ever be steered this far, and towards so different a direction. But here we are, at the 7th entry in this franchise that was established upon the simplest possible idea of racing with hot guys and chicks. If one has never peeked at any of these films, and merely know the series from its sensational commercial success and its seemingly endless string of sequels that occupy cinemas every two years with rocket-science punctuality, he might cringe at the very notion of yet another succession of mindless money-grabbing hormone-oriented flicks for young generations, who seem to have nothing better to do than ruining the market of motion picture as we know it. Well, he wouldn't be entirely wrong, that is, until this point.
Fast & Furious 7 is---there's no better way to describe it---the ultimate Fast & Furious movie. For more than a decade, this series has been somewhat a bunch of random ideas, cast at the wall by producers, directors and other involved parties. Now it's time to finally gather everything that sticks, and aggregate them into a 137 min of one breath- taking action sequence segueing into another that's even more mind- blowing.
The subject matter this movie deals with is "the death of a friend"--- actually, scratch that, it's "a death in the family". Inside the world of the movie, it's about Han; outside, it's about Paul Walker. This is a major reason why Furious 7 not only aspires to be the best of its kind, it also NEEDS to be the special one.
The two deaths, both in reality and in fiction, propels this movie up to an unprecedented level of expectation even before it begins. This is everything that's been built up to. And amazingly, it lives up to it. Since the character of Han was introduced and killed in Tokyo Drift, Fast 4 to 6 became, to a certain extent, The Final Odyssey of Han. I don't know if they ever deliberated every move like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in hindsight, it's brilliant. The tragic death of Paul Walker only adds to the movie's heavy sense of fatalism, even further making it the culmination of everything. The filmmakers are fully aware of this. The last minutes became a sentimental farewell to Walker's character, the most perfect send-off they could have visualized. Are they perhaps consciously capitalizing on Walker's tragedy? Absolutely! But we wouldn't have it any other way!
The more I like this movie, the more I can't help but lament why Fast & Furious 6 didn't seem to work just as fine. Furious 7 brought out the best part of Fast Five, the fascinating chemistry among the team members, including the Rock. They spill out wittily-designed dialogue, every syllable a manifestation of their own personality. Whereas last time, it all seemed rushed and contrived. Probably something to do with Justin Lin, the director behind Fast 3 to 6, who, by that time, had to be feeling a bit exhausted. I'm glad to see James Wen, who is more celebrated with his filmography in the horror genre (Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, The Conjuring, etc), rejuvenates the series without losing its sight or style.
I could compliment this movie from a thousand more different angles, but the truth is, it's not without its faults. I still don't completely agree with the decision of bringing back Letty, which renders some of the previous adventures totally pointless. She has her share of struggle in this film, still suffering from amnesia and wishing she could be whole again. I can't honestly blame her for not remembering her past in a flash, considering that I, who saw all previous movies, couldn't quite recall what she did before her "death". This subplot conveniently became useful in the end, in a scene where conflicts are so obviously created just so this subplot can be useful. To be honest, between the death of our beloved character and people, between Vin Diesel's talk about family and everything else, we really have little emotional room left for this. Also, because actions are so tightly arranged, one is liable to feel some slight visual fatigue at a later point. I also don't recommend watching it in 3D. The effects are okay, but the last third of the film largely took place at nighttime, or in dim-lighted places, which means not ideal for 3D viewing (if you remember Pirates of the Caribbean 4).
Fast & Furious 7 is exactly what fans have been hoping for, and is most probably what non-fans wish this series could become. It's not perfect, but then again, it's not supposed to be. What it should be is special, and in that it indubitably succeeded.