Movie Review: Fast and Furious 7

Fast and furious 7 is a summer blockbuster, which in a word lives up to its expectations. It is directed by James Wan known mainly for his films in the horror genre. It stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Statham.

This movie is James Wan’s first action film and I am happy to say that he has done a great job. Of course this movie like any other has some flaws, which I will address, but if you really know what to expect from a fast and furious movie, then this will deliver it in spades.

SCREENPLAY

By far the strongest aspect of the film, the screenplay shines in every scene. The banter between the characters is witty, comedic and a whole lot of fun. And as a bonus there are about a billion one liners. The world needs one liners.

I do not actually have any problems with the screenplay. It fits the movie to a T and not one dialogue is out of place or out of character. But there are of course exposition bits, so I wouldn’t call it perfect.

STORY

One other strong point is the story. It is for the most part pretty well written. Two thirds of the movie flow seamlessly into place and provide enough reason to justify every physics defying stunt on the screen.

But where the story does fail though is in the third act. There is a disconnect between the second and third act which, although not a game breaker, is a bit of a stretch. I am, although, willing to forgive because of the tragic death of Paul Walker. It is plain to see that plans were changed, to accommodate the fact that they lost an important part of the series.

In the end, the story pulls through and provides enough of an explanation for everything and it ends on a really great note.

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND CGI

The moment the first chase starts, you can notice the change in the cinematography. While Justin Lin used establishing and wide angle shots, James Wan uses, tight shots, and some really well executed editing to provide a more gritty and realistic look to the car chases. I honestly cannot tell which I prefer, but one drawback I found was that, James Wan uses the same technique in the hand to hand combat scenes too. While not as bad as shaky-cam, it does feel a bit gimmicky.

CGI in this film is top notch for the most part. Body doubles and Paul Walker’s brothers were used as substitutes for him, to complete filming, and you can say in certain scenes that Paul, was shot at an odd angle, to mask the fact that it is a body double. But, when the scene calls for it , the CGI delivers, and the final shot of Paul Walker is really good.

SOUND

Score in the film is really good, and the sound effects of the cars are realistic. Soundtrack suits the film and I found only one instance, where an abrupt cut in the soundtrack annoyed me.

CONCLUSION AND VERDICT

Before I give a verdict, I want to say that I am happy at the send off they gave Paul Walker. The movie was dedicated to him, and the last two minutes were, incredible, and emotional. Having been a person, who loved Paul Walker for his nature and attitude, I am not ashamed to say that I did tear up at the ending. It is going to take a while to comprehend the fact that the next movie won’t have Walker in it, but that’s life, I guess.

The final verdict for this film is a 7.8 out of 10. This film has a lot of heart and it is great entertainment. Definitely check it out, you won’t be disappointed. And here is one final tribute to Paul Walker:

Peace!!!