MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Action/Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Caleb Walker, Cody Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, John Brotherton, Lucas Black, Elsa Pataky, Noel Gugliemi, Ali Fazal, Iggy Azalea, T-Pain, Romeo Santos/Runtime: 137 minutes

I think it is a fairly statement to make that, if asked to name one franchise which has managed to change in ways that were completely unexpected let alone make it to a 7th entry (or even a 10th, but that’s another story) I definitely at one time would not have put Fast and Furious anywhere close to that list. With that in mind though, I must admit that I have found this franchise’s evolution of sorts to be quite interesting to keep an eye on. Indeed here is a series that has managed to go from just merely being a gloriously cheesy series about street racing that was alright yet nothing special to write home about all the way to a larger than life, pumped and revved up on cinematic nitro action franchise that, gaping holes in logic aside, I have found myself enjoying with each installment. This is because this series of films are ones that rely on being as over the top and as, dare I say, ludicrous as possible, but also work because not only do the films always approach everything with a wink and nod, but the franchise as a whole is now aware of its identity and key objective of just seeing how far they can take things without losing the attention of its key target audience (you and me). Yet as incredible as it has been to see where the series has managed to go since 2011’s Fast Five, it should be said that for the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, 2015’s Furious 7, the road to being brought to audiences was significantly more treacherous and heartbreaking than all of the others both before and since. This is because of the untimely death of franchise star Paul Walker with over 50% of filming completed back in 2013. As a result not only would the film be delayed, but the idea of even finishing it was soon thrown into question as well. So, with those factors in question, I guess the question that was facing this particular entry more than any of the others is can it keep the ingredients which have been working to win over movie goers worldwide intact whilst also operative as a cathartic and respectful goodbye to one of the key linchpins to the entire franchise? Thankfully, upon seeing the finished product, I can safely say that is exactly what they have managed to do here. Yes the elements that you loved from the others both behind and in front of the camera are back, yes James Wan does a wonderful job at taking over for franchise veteran Justin Lin, but also the film does do a great job at operating with a not so surprising degree of gravity and emotion with a final scene that is sure to make you hold back some serious tears. Thus no this film isn’t perfect by any stretch, but trust me when I say that this is most assuredly still a great and pretty emotional ride that is worth embarking on.

The plot is as follows: In the aftermath of the events of Fast and Furious 6 which saw them both defeating mercenary Owen Shaw as well as being given legal amnesty for their previous acts of questionably legal deviance, Furious 7 gets underway with 98% of our main crew (or family as I’m sure they would prefer to be called) in a rather unique place. That being not only back home in the United States, but also actually attempting to have some semblance of a normal life. Yet even though Dom, Brian, and the rest of the team may think that at long last they can begin putting the pieces of their lives back together, we see that Fate (in that mysterious and unusual way of hers) has other plans in store for them. Plans that soon come a’calling in the form of a ruthless rogue former British Special Forces operative named Deckard. A man who, among other noteworthy attributes, also happens to be the older brother of the man who Dom and family defeated in their last adventure and is now dead set on hunting them all down one at a time in order to get his revenge. However, following the incapacitation of at least two of the team due to Deckard’s dastardly machinations, we see that Dom and the rest of the group must reconvene in order to both find their new enemy and defeat him. A task that will not only soon involve an enigmatic government agent known simply as Mr. Nobody, a skilled computer hacker named Ramsey that Nobody would like rescued for….reasons, another member of the ruthless terrorist community by the name of Jakende deciding to team up with Shaw on his mission of vengeance, and a top-secret computer program with the potential to alter the world in a not so good way known only as the “God’s Eye” being thrown into the mix, but also quickly make itself out to be, without question, the toughest ride the team has ever embarked on. Thus can the team, with their newfound allies, go up against the threat that has come more than just knocking at their door and emerge from this latest scuffle victorious once again or is this one race that they, for all their combined skill and tenacity, simply cannot hope to win? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..

Now right off the ol’ stick shift, it is worth noting that the work done behind the camera on this installment in the franchise is fairly well done. This starts with the top-tier work at the helm by none other than horror maestro James Wan. Indeed, Wan might be taking over for franchise vet Justin Lin on this, but the transition between the two helmers is actually fairly seamless especially in terms of the visuals and the work done by the editing department which are absolutely incredible to behold. I say that because yes there were undoubtedly some really difficult creative choices that had to be made in ensuring that Brian O’Connor was able to be a consistent part of the film throughout, but this is still an incredibly edited and looking entry in this franchise. We also see that by the time we get to the riveting ending, Wan finds himself having to play a balancing act with at least four action beats all connecting with one another at various intersections. Yet, rather than see them all fold and collapse in on themselves like I have seen occur to even some of the more experienced film helmers out there in the land of movie magic, Wan is able to balance them with a skill and flair that is just remarkable in every sense of the word. We also see that, despite a dependably good script from screenwriter Chris Morgan that makes our main characters less humans and more like the Looney Tunes with particular regard to how invincible they are when caught up in the jaw-dropping shenanigans they find themselves into, the cinematography team does a fantastic job at making a lot of the action beats and chase scenes here hold your breath in terms of sheer anticipation. This not only includes such moments as a car chase set, I kid you not, between a pair of skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, but also in such scenes as a scene of fisticuffs between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham that is not only filmed incredibly well, but executed in such a way that you can clearly see what is going on and who is beating up who at any given point in time. Finally, it also doesn’t hurt this film in the least that Wan is also willing to incorporate some of the more wild and crazy party vibes to say nothing of the alluring race fans on the sidelines that fans of the franchise have long accepted as part of the franchise. Yes there are points where this gives off the vibe of being something you might see on MTV in the vein of Jersey Shore, but it all works thanks to the back and forth had between the various characters in those moments. Suffice it to say that when you really get down to it, the work done behind the camera on this slice of cinema really does help to make this movie one that yes has well-done moments of emotion, but is mostly a taut and incredibly riveting action slice of cinema that is made up of equal parts wit, car chases, action beats, and (I kid you not) Dwayne Johnson walking around L.A. at night wielding a Gatling gun like he’s Jesse Ventura in Predator. A mixture that fits this slice of cinema to a t and then some.

Of course, the other big element that has been a consistent key to this franchise’s success would have to be the work done in front of the camera by the immensely talented cast. In that regard, it should be noted that this is most definitely the case here as well. That starts with the work done by not only the late Paul Walker, but also his brothers Caleb and Cody in bringing Brian O’Connor to the screen one final time. Yes Paul gives a terrific performance no two ways about it, but the fact that Caleb and Cody were able to come on board following their brother’s untimely passing and give the character a resolution that is both satisfying whilst also making sense for the character makes this a truly beautiful capper. Not only to Paul’s cinematic legacy as a whole, but to the character that he was perhaps the most known for bringing to life on the silver screen. We also get a dependably good turn here from other co-franchise lead Vin Diesel. Indeed it must not have been an easy task to continue making a film when your on-screen co-star, and off-screen brother, suddenly passes away. Even with that in mind, there is no denying that Diesel does a great job at playing this character the way we have come to know and love even whilst managing to insert not only some surprising gravitas and heart into the mix, but also an ending voice over narration that I dare you not to cry whilst listening to here. I also enjoy the work done here by co-star Dwayne Johnson as everyone’s favorite DSS agent Luke Hobbs. Yes his role in this is a bit more limited than in the previous two installments. Yet not only does Johnson, with his trademark brand of million mega-watt charisma, make the most of every minute of screentime that he is given, but he also gets in a pretty good fight scene with the big bad in this as well that is as riveting and taut as you would hope it to be. Speaking of that proverbial big bad, I guess now would be the perfect time to tell you that I love Jason Statham’s work here as Deckard Shaw. Not just in terms of physicality because oh he definitely delivers that, but in terms of straight up menace be it through a steely gaze or just how he delivers his lines of dialogue. Indeed Statham has long been one of our more underrated modern action icons and here he proves to be an absolutely worthy addition to this franchise. Now alongside Statham, we also get a good performance here from Djimon Hounsou as this slice of cinema’s secondary antagonist of sorts Mose Jakande even though I do have one particular issue about the character. Not with how Hounsou portrays him in any way, but rather because of how poorly the character is written he really does come across as an antagonist that was shoehorned in at the last minute rather than one that had been a part of the story from the start. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in really good efforts from returning stars Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Bridges, Lucas Black, and Elsa Pataky plus newcomers like Nathalie Emmanuel, screen icon Kurt Russell (who is a delight as the enigmatic Mr. Nobody), Ronda Rousey (even her role in this is more of a glorified cameo than anything else), and iconic Thai martial artist Tony Jaa amongst others it’s clear to me that whilst there may be some issues with this slice of cinema overall the work done by the cast in bringing their characters and the film overall to life is most assuredly not one of them.

All in all I think it can safely be said that the slice of cinema that is Furious 7 is a movie that can definitely be described in no uncertain terms as a genuine miracle. Not just for the fact that the film was actually able to be completed in the shadow of the tragic and untimely demise of franchise co-lead Paul Walker. A loss incidentally that still to this very day does hurt to a significant degree for fans of the late actor, his family, and those who were blessed to be able to work with him throughout his tragically too brief career in the land of movie magic. Rather, it’s also for the fact that this slice of cinema, even with such legit heartache casting a lengthy shadow over the entire proceedings, manages to be a genuinely great movie. Not just in terms of the wonderful work by the various departments both behind and in front of the camera which, it goes without saying, are managing to truly fire on all the right cylinders here, but also in how it manages to, without going into spoilers, do a beautiful and respectful job of saying goodbye to one of the stars that initially was responsible for getting this franchise put on the map as it were back in the day. To be sure, this is by no means a perfect movie, but honestly the issues I wound up having with this particular slice of cinema are so miniscule at best then who am I to really quibble? Ultimately dear reader I guess I’ll leave you with this thought. That being that in a perfect world I must be honest and admit that I could easily see this installment in the franchise being the one that the powers that be over at Universal Studios would look at, find themselves crying buckets of tears at to say nothing of furiously (pun not intended) applauding the work that has been done here, and quickly issuing a press statement (or something to that effect) that effectively immediately there would be no other installments in this franchise. Of course, as we all know, that didn’t exactly happen because money talks, but we should be willing to take some degree of comfort nonetheless. Not only in the genuinely great movie that Furious 7 winds up being, but in the fact that I have no doubt in my mind that Paul Walker himself would be genuinely proud of what his co-stars and the team behind the camera on this film managed to make it into. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Furious 7 “2015” a solid 4 out of 5.