In 2000, a film with a modest budget and a cast of up-and-coming young actors began production of a franchise that would last 15 years. Inspired in part by a Vibe magazine article on street-racing clubs, the action-thriller chronicled the exploits of a crew deep in the underground racing scene of East Los Angeles. They dabbled in low-level heists to fund a passion for modified turbocharged street racers. The story of young guns who live and drive by an outlaw code would become The Fast and the Furious, a sleeper hit of 2001 that raked in more than $200 million at the worldwide box office.
The core of the franchise is seven words spoken by key character Vin Deisel, namely, “I don’t have friends. I got family.” His family, of course, is his close-knit comrades in arms. Diesel returns, along with Paul Walker, who – unfortunately – died while making this picture. Then there is Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Jordana Brewster. They are joined by fan favorites Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. New additions to the ensemble include Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, Ronda Rousey and Tony Jaa.
Fast & Furious 7 picks up more than a year after Diesel and Walker’s crew has returned to the US with their pardons. They have transitioned into life on the right side of the law, but home has taken on a surreal quality. Diesel tries desperately to reconnect with Rodriguez, while Walker struggles to settle into suburban life with Brewster and their son. Meanwhile, Bridges and Gibson celebrate their freedom by living the playboy dream. But danger comes in the form a cold-blooded British black ops assassin with a score to settle. Beginning his reign of terror with a brutal murder in Tokyo and the attempted assassination of Johnson in Los Angeles, Statham is systematically hunting down those who took out his little brother during their last mission.
Justin Lin, who had been at the helm of four Fast & Furious films, handed over the reins to Australian James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) for this, the last movie in the franchise. Prolific Fast & Furious writer Chris Morgan is again responsible for the script.
If more of the same is what you are looking for, that’s exactly what you get in this ode to family, which finishes with a quick retrospective on Paul Walker’s contribution to the franchise. The action and special effects are, indeed, fast and furious, so fast, in fact, that your eyes struggle to take in the helter skelter close ups that permeate the finale. The violence is palpable and there is no shortage of explosions to keep adrenalin junkies satisfied. Some of the most spectacular scenes are shot in Abu Dhabi. Foremost among them is a stolen car that is driven through the windows of successive skyscrapers hundreds of metres above the ground. Wow!
Nevertheless, I thought the plot was thin, particularly so the way Walker is introduced back into the action. Shots of him with his wife and kid would have been more at home in an ad for family health insurance. As for the dialogue, you guessed it … corny.
Fast & Furious 7 also goes on for too long, but, I dare say, those who have followed the franchise from the start, and video gamers used to fast-paced action, won’t care about that. Rated M, it scores a 6 out of 10.
Director: James Wan
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson
DVD and on-demand release: 27 August 2015
Rated: M
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television