Of all the Fast and Furious movies, Furious 7 is the one I’d heard the most about. I was made aware of the movie mostly because of Paul Walker’s tragic death and the moving song “See You Again,” however, I had absolutely no idea what the movie was about. I quickly realized that this movie was not going to dwell on the tragedy of Walker’s death, but rather use it as a vehicle to honor his legacy. So, while I have my qualms about this movie, and I wouldn’t put it at the top of my Fast and Furious ranking, overall I really enjoyed it, and I thought it was a moving tribute to the actor behind Brian.
The Way They Handled Paul Walker’s Death Was Perfect
I went into this movie not knowing how they were going to handle Paul Walker’s unexpected death. I knew his cause of death in real life was a car crash, and I genuinely didn’t know how they could address what happened to him in a meaningful way. However, they did handle it perfectly, and I was sincerely touched by their choice to have Brian retire from the life of action, and move on with his family.
By slightly changing the ending of Furious 7 and adding that touching last ride sequence between Brian and Dom, Paul Walker’s final on-screen moments were incredibly touching. Also, by having Walker’s brother stand in for him, using unused footage of Paul Walker, adjusting the lighting, and replacing Caleb Walker’s head with Paul’s, according to THR, it was hard to tell that it wasn’t the original Brian actor performing.
Overall, they did a beautiful job of wrapping up Brian’s story and using digital technology to make it feel like Paul Walker was still with us for one last ride.
They Kept Talking About Flying Cars, Technically A Car Never Flew, And I’m Mad About It
One of the mantras of this movie seemed to be “Cars can’t fly.” Brian said the line at least three times, and there were multiple moments where cars were yeeted, for lack of a better term, off high places. However, while there were a ton of cars falling from great heights, they never actually flew, and I’m a little peeved about it.
This idea that cars can’t fly felt like a Chekhov's gun in a way. Eventually, I thought it was going to pay off, and a car was really going to fly. I guess in a way they did make it happen, sort of, with the parachutes, but that was mostly cars falling not flying. I guess what I’m trying to say is in the world of Fast and Furious where anything is possible and physics doesn't really matter why not let cars fly?
The Parachute Car Sequence Was Both Hilarious And Super Cool
They may not have really made cars fly, but they got very close by actually dropping real cars out of a plane for the parachute sequence. Learning about this scene now, it’s become even cooler because they really did drop cars out of a cargo plane, as Screen Rant reported. The article explained that the cars were dropped from 12,000 ft. with skydivers and a helicopter flying with the falling cars. However, what really made the sequence was how funny it was.
Seeing Roman properly freak out, and refuse to back out of the plane was one of the funniest moments in the franchise. Between his recognition of the utter ridiculousness of the scene, and the practical work that went into the sequence it ended up being the ultimate Fast and Furious moment.
What Good Does Crashing Into Each Other Do: My Problem With The Alpha Rivalry Between Dom And Shaw
Let’s all get honest with ourselves for a moment and recognize that these movies are hyper-masculine. Now, I really don’t take issue with this fact, I knew what I was getting into when I decided to watch this franchise. However, sometimes that alpha male energy is a bit much for me, and most of the time it’s unnecessary to the plot.
I have absolutely no idea why both Shaw and Dom thought it’d be smart to crash into each other. It destroys their cars, and does not help either party. Both times Dom and Shaw faced off in this movie they crashed into each other because both men are so determined to be the alpha. This resulted in a game of chicken that they both lost. If they just would put their egos aside, and take a second to think about their actions and the consequences of ramming into each other, maybe they would have been more successful in trying to take each other down.
Paul Walker In Dad Mode Was 100% My Favorite Part Of This Movie
I think my favorite scene in this whole entire movie was Brian dropping his son Jack off at preschool. That scene of him revving up the minivan, and making the audience think he’s on some dangerous adventure was hilarious, and then seeing the reveal that he’s in a minivan was iconic behavior.
On a more serious note, these fatherly moments also helped make the ending as perfect as it was. Knowing Brian is about to become a father of two with Mia, and being able to see how much he loves Jack at the beginning made the moment at the end where he leaves the life of racing behind all the more meaningful.
Vin Diesel Was Out Here Lifting Cars And Jumping Around Like A Super Soldier
So, remember how we talked about these movies not really considering physics or what’s physically possible earlier? Well, this scene was the ultimate proof of this point. There is absolutely no way Dom would have been able to lift that car like he actually has the strength of Groot.
Admittedly, I have a lot of fun with these humanly impossible elements of these movies, so seeing Vin Diesel lift a car was quite amusing. However, if they’re going to do stuff like this it needs to be a full send, and everything should be unrealistic because, in the F&F world, anything is possible. Basically, what I’m saying is if Dom can lift a car, they could have made cars fly.
Other Thoughts
- I’m just supposed to believe Sean is still in high school???
- T-Pain was in the movie! Good for T-Pain.
- The Rock flexed his massive arm cast off, because of course he would.
- I’m sorry, but when did Letty and Dom get married?
I feel like watching Furious 7 was a major moment on the Fast and Furious timeline. When Paul Walker passed away it was major news that shook everyone up, and I remember how much people loved the song “See You Again,” and this movie. While I may have my qualms with this film, overall it’s a moving tribute to Paul Walker and a solid entry into the Fast and Furious franchise. Now, I’m excited to see how this movie impacts the saga moving forward, and how the OG F&F star's legacy will impact Fast X when it premieres on the 2023 movie schedule.
You can stream Furious 7 with a Peacock subscription.
