fast and furious 7
2015 review number 54:
Fast and Furious 7: (Action/Thriller): 80 out of 100: If you are a fan of this series you're going to love this movie. It just might be able to convert the non-preachers too with its sensational action sequences and exciting story. For those who are curious about how the film was shot without the late Paul Walker, you'll want to check it out too.
The whole gang reassembles for the seventh film of this franchise which shows no signs of slowing down even with the death of one if its stars. There's only one major addition and that is Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw) who plays the brother of the criminal who has been left comatose after the sixth film. He seeks revenge for his brother and hunts down Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) along with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his 'family' which includes Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and his wife Mia (Jordana Brewster), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris). A sub-plot involves a Somalian terrorist called Jakande (Djimon Hounsou) and a government official called Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) who are both competing to steal a computer program called God's Eye that can track the movement of anyone within seconds. Toretto and his team must stop Shaw and prevent the computer program from entering the wrong hands.
If you want a flashy movie, "Fast and Furious 7" or simply known as "Furious 7" in the US, delivers it in spades. There's a lot to drool over including fast cars, sexy women and over-the-top though visually stunning action scenes. You won't be able to catch your breath with everything that is happening on the screen. I'm not usually a fan of quick cuts but this type of movie is justifiable in resorting to this technique because it keeps the action moving along at a breakneck speed.
Diesel mumbles his way through most of his lines while the others are basically pawns to the action scenes. Statham plays a convincing bad guy while Johnson only has a minor role here. Thankfully, Walker's last role is convincing enough for the movie world to remember his acting legacy, which was pretty much for this franchise. You do have to suspend disbelief at some of the car crashes because any ordinary folk wouldn't have been able to survive them, which takes away some of the suspense from the film because you sense that nothing will happen to any of the main stars.
The movie takes us to scenic locations around the world and the cinematography brings out the best they have to offer. You know the budget is grand when you take into account all the global locations and the amazing action scenes, especially one which involves a party crash in Abu Dhabi. This will have the adrenaline junkie frothing at the mouth.
Some might call this big, dumb and loud but it's the way that it has been filmed which makes it an experience that must be seen on the big screen. A lot of the impact will be lost on a small screen so see this and be prepared to encounter spills, thrills and action galore.
Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez
(137 minutes)
Parental advice: Violence
Additional scene during or after credits: No
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skpu5HaVkOc (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Wednesday 8th April, 2015)
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