Furious 7 (2015) Movie Review

Synopsis:

As retaliation for his younger brother Owen, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) hunts down Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew. Dom seeks help from the government agent, Mr Nobody (Kurt Russell). To gain Shaw’s whereabouts, Dom and his crew must save a computer hacker named Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel).

Review:

With Furious 7, there is an even greater focus on upping the scale of action sequences. It also introduces even more locations.

For context, Justin Lin directed the previous few Fast & Furious installments. Director James Wan helmed Furious 7.

This change in direction doesn’t offer many changes to the narrative. Despite this, James Wan brings a unique style to the action.

This includes Agent Luke Hobbs’ (Dwayne Johnson) altercation with the film's antagonist, Deckard Shaw.

As with previous entries, Wan highlights the contrasts between both characters’ fighting styles.

Wan’s editing style during this sequence helps to showcase this.

When the fight focuses on Hobbs, Wan uses the camera to highlight the character’s strength.

Dwayne even pays homage to his WWE days, performing a Rock Bottom to Jason’s Deckard Shaw.

Wan’s camera techniques are also applied to Deckard Shaw. With them, he pans the camera out to highlight Jason’s precise martial arts techniques.

With his other action sequences, Wan employs wide shots that focus on the scale of his vehicle sequences.

Take the film’s Abu Dhabi action sequence. This happens to involve an extravagant supercar, the Lykan HyperSport.

Wide shots showcase the car’s speed, jumping between many skyscrapers.

This sequence as a whole impresses from a visual standpoint. Despite the vibrant visuals, the concept of gravity is not applied.

It’s the film’s most bombastic sequence, and for some fans, this may have been one step too far into the realm of absurdity.

Other sequences also embrace this style, such as when Dom blasts off a mountain with his car.

As expected, he survives. Though, given how many times the car crashes, he shouldn’t have.

This may not bother some fans, though it does limit the film’s stakes.

Furious 7, as expected, gives Vin’s Dom more chances to talk about family and what it represents.

Also, Vin’s tone is even more gruff in this entry, making it difficult to understand what he is saying at times.

Furious 7 also gives a heartfelt send-off to Paul Walker. This is with help from his younger brothers, Caleb and Cody.

This film also gives Paul’s Brian O’Conner more interactions with Jordana Brewster’s Mia Toretto.

As with the last installment, Jordana’s role in this film is even more limited, which seems to be a recurring theme.

Furious 7's primary antagonist, Jason Statham, portrays the unflinching Deckard Shaw with precision.

Every moment he is on screen, there is a sense of danger for Dom and his crew.

As a whole, Statham is entertaining, serving as the film’s high point.

Furious 7 also introduces a secondary antagonist. He's a mercenary named Mose Jakande (Djimon Hounsou).

Djimon seems to enjoy his role and is entertaining enough to watch onscreen. This is despite the character's basic motivation.

Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty Ortiz also returns. As a result, the film continues her interactions with Dom.

Both characters are also given improved writing in this entry. This makes it a slight improvement over the previous film.

This film’s visual style highlights the scale of the action and the locations where it is taking place.

As a whole, this familiar visual style should please most fans of the franchise.

Composer Brian Tyler also returns to helm Furious 7’s original score. With it, he gives the audience similar beats to the previous entries.

This is a good score by Tyler and is effective during the action sequences.

Conclusion:

Furious 7 provides more than serviceable entertainment for Fast & Furious fans.

James Wan’s action approach can be familiar at times. Despite this, it offers enough unique moments to draw audiences further in.

Most will appreciate the variety of stunts at play in this film.

Others may tune out to the absurdity of some sequences. Still, the film’s action is entertaining.

Furious 7 provides audiences with more family-oriented escapades with characters. Take Dom and Letty as a primary example.

Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner is also given similar material. This is alongside a meaningful tribute, given his contributions to the franchise.

Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw gives an entertaining performance. As a result, he captures most of the scenes that he's in.

His martial arts abilities are also showcased well. Jason’s speed is also highlighted during several action sequences.

This style reflects Abu Dhabi’s status, as well as Los Angeles’ city streets and suburbs.

Once again, Brian Tyler’s score is good, bringing in familiar beats from other entries.

His score is also used well during the action, giving them more momentum. With Furious 7, James Wan gives audiences a fun addition to the franchise.

His action approach is unique, yet it may be a little too bombastic for some audiences.

Despite this, Wan delivers an experience that should please most fans.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 7/10

Story - 6.5/10

Action - 7.5/10

Visuals - 7/10

Soundtrack - 7.5/10

Overall score: 7.1 out of 10