By Staci Layne Wilson
@StaciWilson Furious 7 Review

The Fast and the Furious was one of the first films I reviewed and covered as a new entertainment reporter back in 2001. I thought it was cheesy, but I loved all the street-peeling hotrods. It was all about the vroooming vehicles! As the franchise went on, it became less about the motors and more about souped up plots and half-baked action sequences. Finally, with Furious 7, the series has come full circle and encompasses a little something for every fan of the franchise – awesome automobiles, stellar stunts, and babes, baddies and bromance.

This time around, the family that drives together stays together – even as they get swept up in a global conspiracy that takes them from L.A. to Dubai, points in between, and back again. Picking up after the gang of gearheads has defeated the evil Owen Shaw, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the “family” are able to return to the United States and live normal lives.

But not so fast, Fast and Furious ones: Owen’s brother, Deckard (Jason Statham), comes after them with a relentless vengeance. So does terrorist Jakande (Djimon Hounsou) who’s after them for… something or other. In the midst of all this, they have to contend with mad-dog martial artists (Tony Jaa, and Ronda Rousey), copious car crashes, and teary wives left at home. Oh, and also, they’ve been hired as conspiracy-cracking mercenaries by bad-boy secret-ops Fed, Frank Petty (Kurt Russell) to recover a mysterious world-changing technology known as God’s Eye. Anyway, to paraphrase Furious 7’s screenwriters Chris Morgan and Gary Scot Thompson, “Who cares about plot?”

And really, that’s not why I go to see a Fast and Furious film. I go for the hotrods, hardbodies, and heart-stopping stunts. Throughout most of this endearingly meathead movie, the characters are more like caricatures and the action is so over the top it defies each and every law of gravity (Jason Statham is the human equivalent of Wile E. Coyote) and these cars are crazy enough to make James Bond opt to take the bus). However, I will say that the tribute to Walker – and O’Conner – was fitting, heartfelt, and genuinely touching. Director James Wan, known mostly for his horror heritage (Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious), handles every aspect with passion and panache.

While the movie does drag on a hair too long, and there’s some insufferable sappiness accompanied by an over-the-top music score, I’ve gotta say: The set-pieces are killer! I know a lot about filmmaking, but there were a few scenes in Furious 7 during which I said to myself, “How’d they do that?!” I’d love to wax geekosophical about my favorite motorific mise-en-scène(s), but I shan’t spoil… I’ll just offer a word of advice: See it in IMAX.

I daresay Furious 7 is best of the lot since the original. Fasten your seatbelts, suspend your disbelief, and enjoy the ride!

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 20 Minutes

 FURIOUS 7 Review