Fast and Furious 7 (2015)

I guess any fan of the franchise will not miss this one and anyone who's a little familiar with the series will want to know how this one goes. Yes, I'm talking about Paul Walker and his untimely departure from the series. The good news is that FF7 will draw in the big bucks at the box office. The bad news is that the series will never be the same again if they decide to continue it.

With the above out of the way, let's get into the main topic : how is this movie, really? Well, as the latest entree to the Fast and Furious series, it does not really disappoint. The cars are here. The cast are here... well, mostly. Even those unbelievable stunts from the last movie made it here intact. I dare say that the stunts this time around were even more outrageous. Action packed it is but story's a little thin.

It's obvious that Paul's demise left quite a hole in the story. The movie started with Brain trying to fit into the role of a loving father and husband but finding it hard. He 'misses the bullets' as we were told. However, in the end, Brain apparently did a 360 turn about his decision. It felt kind of contrived but knowing that Paul left us with the film unfinished, it can't be helped.

If you have watched the entire series before this one, then you will find that there are lots of callback to the previous movies. They also tried to tie up all the loose ends and let it end on a high note. The plot is a bit 'out there' but if you are a fan, you'll forgive the plot holes and outrageous, physics defying stunts. You'll sit back and enjoy this 'one last ride' and you may find the last scene a bit emotional. After that I would suggest that you accept that FF7 will be the last of the series and treat any sequels that might come to be a spin off.

For me personally, this one is an OK movie. Not too bad but not too good either. So far, my personal favourite is still Fast and Furious 5. Since I'm a fan, I admit that I have let a lot of grievances slide on this one. Final note : I think it's fair that the let Brain's character retire from the gang at the end. There's no other way to do it and make it seems right IMHO. As with the last scene in the film, this one is for Paul.
Rating of this movie as a fan of the series: 3 out of 5 stars

Rating of this movie taken in general: 2 out of 5 stars