A Potpourri of Vestiges Review: Every bit as fast and furious as some of the franchise's previous installments, if not more

Rating: 7/10 (2 April 2015)

Fast & Furious 7 (aka Furious 7) is every bit as fast and furious as some of the franchise's previous installments, if not more. Fast & Furious 7 showcases adrenaline pumping action from start to finish with Vin Diesel once again leading the juggernaut as the macho anti-hero Dominic Toretto. From LA to Tokyo to Azerbaijan to Abu Dhabi, the movie is high octane and absolute carnage and it features some of the coolest heart-stopping fight as well as chase sequences seen in recent times.
If you are excited by fast cars, hot chicks, badass dudes, and exotic locations then Fast & Furious 7 would certainly impress you. Like with most action movies, the plot is secondary and what happens is of little consequence vis-a-vis how it happens. While the heroes are larger than life and the villains don't get any meaner than this. Jason Statham is a great addition to the franchise and his presence as the story's antagonist immensely adds to the thrill and excitement.
In Fast & Furious 7, Paul Walker is quite impressive in sadly what is his last screen appearance. He will certainly be missed. Michelle Rodriguez is kickass as ever as Toretto's love interest Letty; the chemistry between Rodriguez and Diesel is electrifying. In one of the movie's most scintillating fighting sequences, Rodriguez battles the American mixed martial artist and judoka Ronda Rousey. The raw intensity of the entire scene (given that Rodriguez herself is a trained boxer) makes it absolutely breathtaking to behold.
Although, he gets less screen time than usual, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson makes his presence felt in Fast & Furious 7 (all thanks to his hulky physique and great comic timing). Another actor who deserves a special mention is Kurt Russell who is easily the movie's biggest surprise package and an absolute treat to watch. It's a role that can be seen as a tribute to some of Russell's memorable performances in the Action flicks of the '80s, particularly the movies directed by John Carpenter. The supporting cast is solid as ever.
While the action can be nonsensical at times, it is great fun to see men fight like machines, and at the end of the day we can't really complain. Can we? Well, who can nitpick at the sight of a sports car jumping from one skyscraper to another? Who can be bored by the sight of a half-a-dozen cars getting jettisoned from an airplane? Who can be turned off by the sight of two alpha males beating the hell out of each other in a street fight of sorts?
The bottom line is that Fast & Furious 7 is supposed to be an Action feast and action is what it exactly delivers. It is a very strong contender to be adjudicated as the best film of the franchise, thus far. Fortunately, the action never gets to the point of being obnoxious like so often the case with the films from the Transformer series. Fast & Furious 7 is the perfect Summer Blockbuster from Hollywood; the movie has set the benchmark for the upcoming Action films this summer. The movie's greatest USP is that it is exactly what it is supposed to be, no less or no more.
(This review was first published in my film blog A Potpourri of Vestiges)