Furious 7 is the seventh installment in the Fast & Furious series. The film is directed by James Wan (of The Conjuring). This go around, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew are being hunted by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) for killing his brother back in London in Fast & Furious 6. A covert ops unit led by "Mr. Nobody" (Kurt Russel) also gets involved, enlisting Toretto's crew to retrieve a worldwide tracking device from terrorists. That's the plot, with everything you love about the Fast & Furious gluing all of it together.
I've been a huge fan of the Fast & Furious series only since Fast Five (which is the first one I watched). I watched the other films later, but Fast Five is when they really found their identity, by upping the ante with ridiculous action fare and giving more attention to a single idea brought up in The Fast & the Furious - family. It's what drives the Fast & Furious series for me, and I'm happy to see it's still at the forefront in this installment.
The first act of the movie is undeniably clunky and unfocused set-up for a plot that is nonsensical and convoluted, but the film still manages to tie up all their plotlines together through action sequences, believe it or not. The film really kicks into full throttle in its first big action sequence, showcasing the characters playing off each other with their insane on-screen chemistry. From there, it's just hits all the right notes and delivers on everything you love about and want from a Fast & Furious movie.
There are unbelievable action sequences that prove to be immensely entertaining spectacle. I don't know how they continue to keep topping the level of absurdity every film, but they somehow succeed at it. However, "this time it's not just about being fast," as Vin Diesel said. The stunt work and fight sequences in this movie are absolutely breathtaking. Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey make special guest appearances to showcase their amazing skills but even Diesel, Walker, and Statham get to join in on the fighting fun. The choreography and the camera movements lend themselves perfectly to make the fights just as exhilarating as the chases.
What makes these films particularly so exciting to go back to is not just the action sequences, but the earnest way they put forth their simplistic ideas of family and loyalty. It isn't deep analytical subtext, it's a heavily emphasized theme. One that should make you feel close to and a part of this "family". It's what makes you care about these characters, even though they're admittedly one-note. This series is self-aware of what it is and doesn't try to do anything more, which gives it the opportunity to really excel at what they are good at and what they can achieve. It's a simple approach to a simple idea in order to create the best outcome.
James Wan truly understands how the Fast & Furious series works, which is made clear by the fact that everything I love about the series is still present in this film. He pays respect to the visual style, overall feel and tone that Justin Lin set up during his time working on the last four installments. It feels just enough like a F&F movie, but there's enough of Wan's visually appealing flavor and energy there to make it special, I'd say this is one the better directed Fast & Furious films (second to only Fast Five). I would say the finale tops Fast Five's finale. It feels like something taken out of a superhero movie (which the series has now become, actually). Wan most certainly can deliver on the visually stunning set pieces and exhilarating action sequences and he understands the relationships between characters and ultimately what the Fast & Furious series is about.
Furious 7 is just as earnest and emotional as it is absurd and illogical. Touching on family themes and putting characters we care about in explosive action sequences, it becomes another worthy installment in this mighty series. And of course, the Paul Walker tribute at the end was respectfully and beautifully done. He's definitely going to be missed.
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