Furious Excitement! A Tale of Brotherhood

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2015)

Fast and the Furious is a series that we have all fallen in love with. Ever since 2001 when the series came out, we have been exposed to beautiful cars, hot extras, and plenty of crime and punishment amidst their colorful cast. This weekend we jump into the seventh, yes seventh, installment to see if we get the same thrills and chills that we love. For the virgins of the series, and those who've seen the trailers, here is what you might expect:  High speed thrills and action  Beautiful women seen from all angles  Jason Statham being Jason Statham  A conclusion to Paul Walker's legendary role
Fans of the series know that this movie is all about coordinated plans that often involve beautiful cars performing unbelievable stunts. Well that trend continues with at least three lengthy sequences dedicated to showing off expensive cars being pushed to their limits. Fans will be pumping their fists in joy as Dom and the crew take their beauties across the world, country hopping as they fight off terrorism partnered with vendetta. In glorious high definition, alongside stable camera work, adrenaline junkies like myself will be more than happy with the exciting battles this movie has. While some of the situations are ridiculous, and a bit conventional, they are incredible displays of the glorious work special effects can craft.
In addition to the excitement, the directing team did a good job adding some additional character to the scenes. Furious 7 has plenty of laughs, especially in the brotherly exchange between Taj (Ludicrous) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson). I myself laughed the hardest at Gibson's scenes, where his stunts and dialog, combined with the delivery, were enough to relieve the tension. The action also held suspense, mainly due to the built relationship between the cast of this series. That dynamic, along with the wonder of who will make it, keeps you engaged in the battles, both the necessary and unnecessary battles. Unlike some other action movies, Furious 7 sometimes takes a little too much liberty for making an action sequence. A few of the scenes were a bit overdramatic, some of the fights quick write-ins to allow for cameos and character involvement.
Speaking of cameos, you can expect a lot of filler shots centered on the feminine figure. Guys will love seeing the curves of many beautiful ladies, most getting close enough to touch the derrieres they are shaking. The tight outfits and bountiful bosoms, or missiles as Roman calls them, will make many a man or boy, drool in delight at the gorgeous women before us. This brings me to another point, that Furious 7's editing could have used a little work. While the movie was exciting, there were plenty of scenes that could have been trimmed, or left out to shorten the run time and make a more conducive movie.
Now I mentioned how the relationship between the stars is a big part of this series, but what about newcomer Jason Statham. No surprise, the action star has little to say, and what he does comes out the same grunting mess he always does. Primarily he talks with his fists, or cars in this case, as the stunt man goes to work on his vendetta plan. I can say Statham still has some moves up his sleeve, but this role was not my favorite of his repertoire. He still had the threatening gaze, but his character lacked the finesse and skills I normally enjoy seeing. Much of his stunts were overexaggerated antics, painting him invincible instead of deadly. Fans of him will have no problem accepting this, but there were a lot of stretches with his character that I didn't quite enjoy in the grand scheme of things. The man is still good, don't get me wrong, but I think I enjoy his Expendable work more than the brother with an attitude.
Finally the tribute to Paul Walker; the man who started this series concluded his performance in a great manner. Walker's tale has heart, soul, and bite in this "final" installment. I felt I got good closure for the character Bryan O'Connor, getting to see the true man in the calm and collected warrior. Sure it wasn't the greatest backstory, but decent when blended with his action. The ending in particular gave me goosebumps, and captures the essence of the actors' relationships and the brotherhood they shared. Although not anything what I expected, I bow my head in honor of the action star.
To sum everything up Furious 7 is an awesome sequel that ranks high on my F&F list. Action wise it is one of the more exciting, and helps tie up the tales of almost all our characters. Is it truly over? I don't know; there is a lot of open ground to cover for a possible sequel. However, it brings the same excitement you like in the ridiculous world we've fallen in love with. Despite the plot conventionalities, disproportionate acting, and interesting editing choices, the movie is one of the better ones I have seen in a long time. Go see it in theaters, for the special effects, the engaging chemistry, and to close out the series.
My scores for Furious 7 are: Action/Crime/Thriller: 8.5 Movie Overall: 7.5-8.0