Fast and the Furious 7

Two years ago I reviewed Fast 6 on this very blog. With Fast 5 a watershed moment in this series, I had high hopes for the sixth instalment. It didn't disappoint and has in fact improved with each subsequent viewing.
Fast 5 is still the benchmark for me - making the impossible appear possible, in terms of effects work and stunts (a thrilling story helped no end)! To my mind Fast 6 veered over that line. Things started to appear less believable, relinquishing the investment audiences had made with Toretto and company. Subsequently the fate of Toretto and his team became more inconsequential.

Well, Fast 7 makes the previous entry look almost documentary-like in it's execution! I caught the Road Runner Movie on television the other day (hilarious) and after seeing Fast 7, I can say with some certainty that the two share more with one another than any previous Fast and the Furious entry!

Fast 7 comes with high hopes of course (the least of which is the integrity of the series I'm sure). At the forefront of most peoples minds will be the passing of Paul Walker and the completion of said film without one of it's leads.
The bulk of these questions and more fell at the feet of new director James Wan - a substantial change from long-time director of the series Justin Lin.
Known for his horror output over the last eleven years (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring), Wan was a left-field choice, but an assured one.
Keen to stretch his repertoire perhaps, Wan has fully embraced the aesthetic of the series. The giant title is indicative of Wans recent output, but everything else is glistening chrome and glistening flesh - accompanied by an R&B/Hip-Hop infused soundtrack and enough sharp, quick edits to keep even the casual viewer captivated.

Fast 7 sees Owen Shaw (from episode 6) hospitalised and crippled - with his brother Deckard (the Stath) out for revenge. After visiting his brother, Deckard goes about acquiring information on Torettos whereabouts. His first stop is the DSS offices of Los Angeles and the computer of one Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) - big mistake!
Deckard and Hobbs go head to head in one of the best scenes, which goes some way to establishing the Looney Tunes-esque nature of this instalment. Surely one punch from Johnsons tree trunk-like arms would kill most men?!

Once Shaw is loose from Hobbs grasp, he's hot on the heels of Toretto and his gang. Hobbs does what he can to land some help at Torettos feet in the form of a deal. This particular deal comes from Mr Nobody (Kurt Russell), a government spook on the trail of some stolen technology.
The McGuffin this time is the Gods Eye - a headache-inducing piece of equipment, which can search the globe for a specific individual, utilising the personal tech of the planets population. Buy more phones people - lets make this thing a reality (if it isn't already of course)!
In exchange for retrieving this device, Mr Nobody will help locate Deckard Shaw and further help Toretto bring him to justice.
Hence forth a series of increasingly ridiculous set-pieces to get the blood pumping!

A lot of the fun of Fast 7 (not to mention the rest of the series) comes with the acknowledgement of cast and crew at the absurdity of the events unfolding. A good portion of this series has been executed with tongue firmly in cheek, leaving little doubt that all involved are having a blast!
The producers of this series believe bigger is better and so far they've not been wrong. I stand by my belief that a return to a slightly more grounded adventure would benefit this series greatly. Lets get clever with these characters before an adventure on Mars ensues!

Talking of grounded, the end of Fast 7 is handled with great sensitivity. With Walkers passing in mind, Toretto (Diesel) leads a fond farewell to his fallen brother - allowing for both Walker and the character of Brian to live on in film-land.
The fact that this little sequence has the ability to bring a tear to the eye should further demonstrate the expertise this team brings to the Fast franchise. There's no question they know exactly what they're doing. Here's to Fast 8 in a year or so!

3/5


Poster image courtesy: http://hnnblogs.com