Following the death of lead man Paul Walker, the ‘Fast and Furious’ series continues with ‘Furious 7.’ The 7th installment of the franchise picks up right after the last, where Owen Shaw’s older brother Deckard (Jason Statham) seeks revenge against Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew, while they are viciously hunted.

Now, one doesn’t go to see this movie for the plot, the acting or to compare this to Oscar wining films like ‘Birdman,’ you go to stuff popcorn in your face and have a fun time in the theater… and that’s exactly what it is.

Explosions, fast cars, great fighting, amazing over-the-top scenes and heartfelt chemistry make this movie absolutely amazing. Keeping true to what the tone of the franchise has been, ‘Furious 7’ does everything a summer blockbuster should be.

Though the plot isn’t crucial to enjoyment of this movie, it isn’t terrible. The transition from ‘Fast and Furious 6’ to this film felt very smooth and unforced, something the franchise hasn’t done well in the past. Of course the plot is service for the next crazy stunt sequence, but it does its job well.

The stunts and aforementioned over-the-top scenes, are superb and a blast to watch, regardless of how unbelievable they actually are. James Wan, director of ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious’ did a spectacular job with filming the action in the film, for his first time directing a film in this genre. A lot of the fight choreography is uniquely shot and intriguing to watch. From cars jumping buildings to jumping out of planes, ‘Furious 7’ embraces the nature of the franchise like a glove.

Character interactions felt genuine and very apparent that the motif of “family” reached beyond the screen. Also, the humor was gleeful. Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Ludacris all add a touch of wit and richness that keeps the humor throughout an already clever film. The original soundtrack, heavily featuring Wiz Khalifa, was also tremendous.

While, the movie is a fun action flick, there are some glaring problems. Michele Rodriguez, in my opinion, just hasn’t fit in since ‘Fast 5’ and for the extremely short time that Ronda Rousey was in the movie, shew gave one of the worst lines ever delivered, ever. Some of the crazy scenes worked, but others were just so bad that it takes you out of the movie instantly. Other plot holes were outstanding, but because of the nature of the other films, they just get swept under the table.

As for the late Paul Walker, the way they handled scenes he was unable to finish were immaculate and very respectful. All that can be said about the ending, is that it could not be any more perfect. Rest in peace Paul.

An extremely great time at the movies, all fun, over-the-top and emotional, and hitting every level of emotion in a film, ‘Furious 7’ is the epitome of great summer blockbuster.

Final Verdict: 8.7/10