This 2015 addition might arguably be the best known Fast and Furious film for those who are not familiar with the franchise, and it was for a very sad reason. On November 30, 2013, Paul Walker died in a single car accident while the film was halfway through production. The cast and fans were devastated by his loss and the production was put on an indefinite hold. With the studio and the cast behind it the seventh film proceeded on in Walker’s memory. In my opinion it has definitely been the most heartfelt Fast film to date, and I do not believe it will be topped. As always spoilers will be ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.
Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has been trying to help his long-time love Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) regain her memories after the events of the previous film, but it has been difficult for her. While helping out his once again pregnant sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), friend Brian (Walker with stand-ins including brothers Caleb and Cody Walker after Paul’s death) and nephew Jack, Dom receives a phone-call from a man threatening his family before a bomb sent from Tokyo destroys the Toretto house. Discovering Han (Sung Kang) is dead and DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is in the hospital after a severe beating Dom gets the crew back together: Brian, Letty, Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) to go after the man revealed to be Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) brother of Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) who has sworn revenge for putting him in a coma. Dom and his crew are ready to fight off Shaw, but they need to do something first for a special ops unit. Headed by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) Dom and his crew agree to help the government obtain a computer program called God’s Eye (basically Big Brother) as well as the person behind it, a hacker named Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). However the mercenary that has her, Mose Jakanda (Djimon Hounsou) is not going to let her or God’s Eye go without a fight. With Deckard following close behind Dom and his crew are on their most dangerous adventure yet, which also includes an amazing fight between Letty and an Abu Dhabi security guard named Kara (Ronda Rousey). I cannot go more without spoiling the rest of the movie, but I promise this: there will not be a dry eye in the house the last few moments of the movies it pays tributes to Paul Walker.
I think the film was anticipated by many Fast and non-Fast fans because of how they were going to retire Walker’s character, and I thought how it happened was absolutely perfect; I can promise looking around the the theater people were crying from little tears to full blow sobbing. The movie itself could not have been better: the writing, action and characters were at their highest peak. The stunts done by either the cast or the cars were just mind boggling; in other words probably more than any other Fast film throw logic out the window (a car drives thru three buildings for crying out loud!) Jason Statham was perfect as Deckard Shaw; easily topping his brother in the previous film as the best bad guy in the Fast franchise until recently but that is for another day. I think this might be my favorite of the Fast franchise so far if anything for what the filmmakers and cast did for Paul Walker’s character and the actor himself. I might even call this film the must-see movie of the entire Fast franchise. While obviously you should watch at least five and six before this one Furious 7 will leave any action fan happy and anyone with a heart swelling with a smidgen of happy and sad. One last thing, do not forget to watch I Am Paul Walker on the Paramount Network airing tonight.
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