A defining moment in a series marred by tragedy

Rating: 7/10 (4 April 2015)

Tyrese Gibson says it best near the film's end, "things aren't going to be the same again." This is true in every sense of the word, as the characters and the audience gear up for a film that has all the feel of being a last ride.
It's hard going into this movie to not think in terms of how Paul Walker's character Brian O'Connor will turn out after the actor's sudden and tragic death last November.
Fortunately for fans, thanks to some clever editing, digital facemasks that are nigh indistinguishable from the real thing and help from Walker's two brothers Cody and Caleb Brian O'Connor is able to join the crew for another mission to protect family against the sins of the previous film.
Deckard Shaw, the brother of Fast 6's villain who is in a hospital crippled and on life support, vows revenge on those who hurt his brother. This leads him to Tokyo, finally tying the continuity gap between Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift and the three sequels after it, which were in-movie-timeline before Tokyo Drift.
The crew is being systematically targeted, and it is up to Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto to protect his family, but most importantly his new extended family of his nephew, while O'Connor struggles with the settled down life of being a family man.
The movie's ending, due to events, had to be rewritten to give Walker's character a proper send-off. Any details would rob viewers of its potency and heartfelt emotions. However, the tribute, and this film, show that the franchise can survive in the face of tragedy, and this film's theme can be felt in two simple words:
For Paul.