I went to the movies a few months ago and I missed my showtime. I had about a 45 minute wait until the next showing, so I thought I would check out Furious 7 while I waited. (I know, I’m a Monster). From what I gather, it is about cars, guns, and family. Like, family is a really important theme. They say it over and over. Justin saw it when it came and out, and since it gets released on Amazon.
(Grade B+)
Furious 7 is the latest, and possibly, the last film in this Cinderella franchise. I say possibly, because we all know if this movie proves to be a box office success (and if last night’s audience attendance is an indicator) then it would be very safe to say Universal Pictures is not ready to take this series to the proverbial scrapyard just yet. The fact I look forward to a new Fast and Furious film is funny considering how much I loathed the first two films in the series. For those who have not seen the first two, or any of the other films in the series, I promise not to provide a detailed summary of the first 6 films. The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious focuses, primarily, on the characters of Brian O’ Connor (the late Paul Walker) and Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel). We see O’Connor’s fall from the other side of the law as a policeman and eventual rise as an up-and-coming street racer and rogue. He does manage to find a sliver of redemption for his actions in the first movie, but the story (as we know) does not end there.
Vin Diesel’s flawed, but very loyal character does not return for the second film (gotta love salary disputes) but does make a return in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The film was not as successful as the first two, but Tokyo Drift is the most important film of the franchise because we start to see the film evolve from the formulaic world of street racing into something a bit more meaningful. With each film we see more and more characters from various backgrounds populate the landscape, and unexpectedly, the audience starts to feel like one of the family. Fast and Furious, Fast Five, and Fast and Furious 6 are special films in their own rights because the series had finally transitioned into a celebration of the silly and absurd. If Danny Ocean has Ocean’s 11, then Dominic Toretto has his own merry band of thieves with their own individual talents and skill sets.
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