Furious 7 is such a delightfully ridiculous action movie. I mean, though I have more to say about this movie, that line honestly could comprise the entirety of my review. This movie is such a fun thrill ride, with action scenes that will have you shouting “no way” and screaming “YAS! fuck him/her/them up!” while also providing a fitting send off for one of its beloved stars, Paul Walker.
Walking into Furious 7, you’d be hard pressed to know just where the story was going to go, other than it containing awesome action and fun lines. After all, if you’re like me, it didn’t hit you until about a week ago that films 4-6 actually take place before the end of #3. The movie settles you into the timeline quickly though. Dekard Shaw (Jason Statham) has all but blow up a hospital just to tell his brother he plans on avenging him which he sets out doing killing Huan and sending a bomb to Mia, Brian and Torretto that destroys their home. He also manages to get the best of Hobbs in an epic battle then lands Hobbs in the hospital. The team renewed with new purpose go after Shaw, only to become acquainted with Mr. Nobody, a man who has the resources of the military at his disposal. He promises to help them go after Shaw if they help him recover Ramsey, a hacker with a program called God’s Eye, that can track anyone anywhere. From there the movie becomes a nonstop blend of action and story beats.
Now before I get into gushing about this film even more, I figure it might be good to get some quibbles out of the way. While I love the action scenes and the suspension of disbelief is there, there were a few sequences that had me side eyeing the screen, particularly where a cliff was involved. Other than that the only place where Furious 7 really falls apart is in the dialogue. While yes the movie’s one liners zing and you “shouldn’t expect” more than what you’re given, it’s still tough to sit through the stilted words these actors have to say. Also, the plot machinations, particularly in the side story involving Ramsey don’t integrate as well as they could.
However, its incredibly easy to overlook these faults when you’ve got action stars in the incredibly capable hands of someone like James Wan. It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Wan given that I’ve crowned his movies best of the year in the past and championing him as our modern day horror master. Wan’s skill with coregraphy within a scene is something to behold and he uses every amount of visual mastery to connect the dots for the audience. There are some humongous action set pieces in this movie and yet each of them feels fully realized and important. You never get a chance to catch your breath when it comes to the stunts.
More than just action though, Wan balances the humor and emotional beats of the characters we’ve all come to know and love just as well as he handles the action scenes. Furious 7 capitalizes on the overwhelming charisma of it’s cast and manages to not be a funeral march, despite all of us knowing Paul Walker won’t come back for future installment due to his tragic death. The movie feels like the proper send off for him, as well as a beacon in this year of underwhelming movies so far.