From small beginnings as a plucky street racing drama, the Fast & Furious series has transformed itself into a juggernaut tentpole franchise that delivers jaw-dropping vehicular carnage and testosterone-soaked fist fights. Cast members aside, the Fast movies of recent years bear little resemblance to the early outings.
It wasn't until the arrival of Dwayne Johnson in 2011's Fast Five that the films really found their feet - now they're competing for serious box office bucks with the likes of Marvel and Transformers. In short, the Fast franchise now produces the kind of action movies you wished The Expendables would.
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| Paul Walker |
Picking up straight where Fast & Furious 6 left off, the storyline this time around is driven by Deckard Shaw's (Jason Statham) thirst for revenge against Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew. Shaw, like a force-of-nature horror villain, materialises out of the blue to put Hobbs in hospital, kill Han (Sung Kang) and drop a bomb on Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia's (Jordana Brewster) doorstep.
The crew are given the chance to save their own skin by Kurt Russell's Mr Nobody, a clandestine government operative who hires them to recover a powerful 'God's Eye' surveillance device. His promise? They can use it to track down and deal with Shaw before handing it back.
So begins a global game of cat and mouse as supercars speed through skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, cars parachute out of planes and Statham embarks on a pair of epic showdowns with Johnson and later Diesel. It's as big and over-the-top as you'd expect, playing out like a Fast & Furious greatest hits. There's even room for a drag race (featuring an Iggy Azalea cameo) and a place for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, which is weaved neatly into the series' timeline.
This is big, brash, everything-and-the-kitchen-sink spectacle that delivers on entertainment value. New director James Wan feels at home with the formula, although there's the occasional fumble, notably a penchant for leeringly gratuitous ass shots (even Michael Bay isn't this bad!) and frantic editing that makes a few of the fist fights barely comprehensible.
Of course, Fast & Furious 7 is with us later than originally planned. The tragic death of Paul Walker midway through the shoot meant that production had to shut down to mourn then figure out how to complete the film. Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody came into the fold to serve as doubles and, aided by the latest VFX technology, his character Brian O'Connor is able to play an integral part in Fast 7. The digital work is pretty much flawless.
The film's real triumph, though, is how it works as an emotional send-off for Walker. No spoilers here, but the closing moments are handled absolutely beautifully. Heartfelt and genuinely moving, it works both within the context of the Fast series' family-centric ethos and, perhaps more powerfully, offers a moment of closure for fans. The final shot could not be more perfect. Tears will be shed.
source:http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/review/a637531/fast--furious-7-review-series-bids-emotional-farewell-to-paul-walker.html#~p7WFeDJUbxXmTT
