*Above image rights to Warner Bros.*
Furious 7 is a quick-paced, action-packed joyride with a fitting and beautiful departure for Paul Walker
Say what you will about the franchise being just about cars, explosions and pretty girls, but it’s done something right to get where it is. This film marks Paul Walker’s last film appearance since his death in 2013. The filmmakers decided to continue on and utilize CGI with his brothers for stand-ins to finish filming. They even dedicated the film in his honor. Spoilers to follow.
-Image rights to Universal-
The film begins in the hospital where we see Owen Shaw, the villain of the previous film, comatose after his defeat at the hands of Dom and his crew. Standing watch over him is his older brother, Deckard, an ex-special forces operative who swears vengeance on those who harmed his brother. The scene cuts to where Han died during Tokyo Drift. Viewers see it was Deckard who did the job.
This scene cuts to Brian and Dom back in L.A. Brian is helping Mia move her things out of her old home with Dom. A package is delivered and Dom receives a phone call from Deckard. Shaw threatens him and his family for what they did to Owen. The package explodes, but Brian manages to keep Mia and their son safe.
After this we see Agent Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) at his office with Elena. When Hobbs returns to his office, Deckard is inside on his computer and the two fight. The fight choreography in this film is some of the best in the franchise. Seeing The Rock pick up and slam Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw is a true wonde. Deckard holds his own in the fight and ends up critically injuring Hobbs as he protects Elena from a grenade blast.
We move to a funeral scene for Han, where all of the cast is in attendance. They speak about how the jobs are getting too dangerous. There’s a huge chase between Dom and Shaw, who infiltrated the funeral. They’re stopped by a new government agent character, Frank Petty (Kurt Russell). Petty tells Dom if he and his team can retrieve a hacker and their new device, they can to use it to find Deckard. Dom reluctantly agrees and the team assembles.
Once the team finds the hacker, they travel to Dubai and recover a computer drive that’s been attached to a rare car. This leads into one of the most impressive and jaw-dropping sequences in the film. Dom and Brian are tasked with finding the car and removing the device.
Tej, Dom’s tech expert, and Ramsey, the hacker they rescued, must find a way to lower the security systems to allow their crew enough time to steal the device. Roman tries to keep everyone at a party in this giant high-rise skyscraper distracted from their plan. Brian and Dom have to steal the car to get the drive out manually. Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) faces off against a bodyguard, played by MMA fighter Rhonda Rousey. The tight and well-constructed choreography comes into play again when these two women battle it out.
Brian and Dom drive the rare vehicle through not one, not two, but three separate skyscrapers attempting to stop the vehicle. Brian finally recovers the device before he and Dom narrowly escape the vehicle as it plummets to the ground and explodes. They use the device to find Shaw, but discover Shaw is waiting for them. He surprises them with help from a warlord named Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), who they previously encountered in the Caucasus Mountains when they retrieved Ramsey.
Back in L.A., Jakande pursues Brian, Dom and their team. Jakande now has the device, known as God’s Eye, which he uses to find the crew. Meanwhile Ramsey is riding along with Roman and Tej, trying to hack into the system and shut it down. Brian fights one of Jakande’s henchmen played by world-renowned stuntman and martial arts fighter Tony Jaa. Brian defeats him and is able to help Ramsey find a new internet connection to finish hacking her device.
Dom finally confronts Deckard as they begin their fight. It’s hard-hitting and brutal. Each fights for a different form of vengeance. I thought this fight was very interesting as one could root for either side. The fight continues on for a while as the crew leads Jakande away from Ramsey. Hobbs enters the foray yet again, ripping away his own cast and smashing into the predator jet, following Letty and Ramsey with an ambulance. He removes a minigun from the vehicle and uses it to help. For a moment it seems a character is dead once the battle concludes.
The final scene is by far the most gut-wrenching and tear-inducing moment of the entire film and franchise. Viewers know that Walker has passed away yet the filmmakers have done a spectacular job with his brothers and CG to make it looks as though it never happened. If you’d rather see the scene for yourself, then read no further. If not, then here we go.
The film ends with Dom, Brian, Mia and the crew along with Ramsey on a beach in the Dominican Republic. Mia and her son have been hiding there with family to stay safe. We see a touching scene of Brian playing with his son and Mia. Dom talks about how happy he is for Brian, but is distraught this is his last ride. It’s clear this is both a send-off for the character and Walker himself. The actors are trying to hold themselves together, but it’s easy to see how it is difficult for them.
Brian and Dom are seen driving in separate cars while Dom narrates the scene. He talks about the importance of family and how Brian was always his brother. He backs this up by talking about how they both lived life “a quarter mile at a time.” The two then part ways as the camera pans to Brian smiling and the film ends with their vehicles on separate roads. This was both emotionally devastating but artfully constructed at the same time. My dad and I were both in tears while watching this scene. It’s clear all the actors involved and the production crew held a great deal of respect for Walker.
The humor is a huge strength of the film. Tyreese Gibson’s role does this for the most part as he tries to be a more integral part of the action and storyline. This is cut with Ludacris bickering with him about the hacker who ends up being an attractive female.
I also enjoyed the use of teamwork and the value of family. These characters have grown together throughout the films with the actors playing them. This truly shows during their individual scenes with each other. Nobody seems stiff or out of place acting in the film. This makes it a much more cohesive experience overall.
The best part about this entry is the racing and action sequences. Each one defies physics but is an absolute adrenaline pumping joy-ride to watch. I don’t take these movies for much more than what they are; fast, action packed, humorous and with a touch of story. This won’t win any Oscars for best film or script, but it may be nominated for effects.
This addition to the franchise is my favorite by far. I’ve grown up with these films and have enjoyed each of them. The action set-pieces and fight sequences have gotten continuously more complex as time went on. The story was never trying to be anything more than a simple A to B plot. It has emotional moments, but I don’t understand critics who say that the story is asinine or shoddy. I think this film is exciting and adrenaline pumping until the very end.
Add in the departure for Walker and his character, and you get one of the best films of the franchise. “Furious 7” receives a 10/10.
Furious 7 is a quick-paced, action-packed joyride with a fitting and beautiful departure for Paul Walker
Say what you will about the franchise being just about cars, explosions and pretty girls, but it’s done something right to get where it is. This film marks Paul Walker’s last film appearance since his death in 2013. The filmmakers decided to continue on and utilize CGI with his brothers for stand-ins to finish filming. They even dedicated the film in his honor. Spoilers to follow.
-Image rights to Universal-
The film begins in the hospital where we see Owen Shaw, the villain of the previous film, comatose after his defeat at the hands of Dom and his crew. Standing watch over him is his older brother, Deckard, an ex-special forces operative who swears vengeance on those who harmed his brother. The scene cuts to where Han died during Tokyo Drift. Viewers see it was Deckard who did the job.
This scene cuts to Brian and Dom back in L.A. Brian is helping Mia move her things out of her old home with Dom. A package is delivered and Dom receives a phone call from Deckard. Shaw threatens him and his family for what they did to Owen. The package explodes, but Brian manages to keep Mia and their son safe.
After this we see Agent Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) at his office with Elena. When Hobbs returns to his office, Deckard is inside on his computer and the two fight. The fight choreography in this film is some of the best in the franchise. Seeing The Rock pick up and slam Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw is a true wonde. Deckard holds his own in the fight and ends up critically injuring Hobbs as he protects Elena from a grenade blast.
We move to a funeral scene for Han, where all of the cast is in attendance. They speak about how the jobs are getting too dangerous. There’s a huge chase between Dom and Shaw, who infiltrated the funeral. They’re stopped by a new government agent character, Frank Petty (Kurt Russell). Petty tells Dom if he and his team can retrieve a hacker and their new device, they can to use it to find Deckard. Dom reluctantly agrees and the team assembles.
Once the team finds the hacker, they travel to Dubai and recover a computer drive that’s been attached to a rare car. This leads into one of the most impressive and jaw-dropping sequences in the film. Dom and Brian are tasked with finding the car and removing the device.
Tej, Dom’s tech expert, and Ramsey, the hacker they rescued, must find a way to lower the security systems to allow their crew enough time to steal the device. Roman tries to keep everyone at a party in this giant high-rise skyscraper distracted from their plan. Brian and Dom have to steal the car to get the drive out manually. Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) faces off against a bodyguard, played by MMA fighter Rhonda Rousey. The tight and well-constructed choreography comes into play again when these two women battle it out.
Brian and Dom drive the rare vehicle through not one, not two, but three separate skyscrapers attempting to stop the vehicle. Brian finally recovers the device before he and Dom narrowly escape the vehicle as it plummets to the ground and explodes. They use the device to find Shaw, but discover Shaw is waiting for them. He surprises them with help from a warlord named Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), who they previously encountered in the Caucasus Mountains when they retrieved Ramsey.
Back in L.A., Jakande pursues Brian, Dom and their team. Jakande now has the device, known as God’s Eye, which he uses to find the crew. Meanwhile Ramsey is riding along with Roman and Tej, trying to hack into the system and shut it down. Brian fights one of Jakande’s henchmen played by world-renowned stuntman and martial arts fighter Tony Jaa. Brian defeats him and is able to help Ramsey find a new internet connection to finish hacking her device.
Dom finally confronts Deckard as they begin their fight. It’s hard-hitting and brutal. Each fights for a different form of vengeance. I thought this fight was very interesting as one could root for either side. The fight continues on for a while as the crew leads Jakande away from Ramsey. Hobbs enters the foray yet again, ripping away his own cast and smashing into the predator jet, following Letty and Ramsey with an ambulance. He removes a minigun from the vehicle and uses it to help. For a moment it seems a character is dead once the battle concludes.
The final scene is by far the most gut-wrenching and tear-inducing moment of the entire film and franchise. Viewers know that Walker has passed away yet the filmmakers have done a spectacular job with his brothers and CG to make it looks as though it never happened. If you’d rather see the scene for yourself, then read no further. If not, then here we go.
The film ends with Dom, Brian, Mia and the crew along with Ramsey on a beach in the Dominican Republic. Mia and her son have been hiding there with family to stay safe. We see a touching scene of Brian playing with his son and Mia. Dom talks about how happy he is for Brian, but is distraught this is his last ride. It’s clear this is both a send-off for the character and Walker himself. The actors are trying to hold themselves together, but it’s easy to see how it is difficult for them.
Brian and Dom are seen driving in separate cars while Dom narrates the scene. He talks about the importance of family and how Brian was always his brother. He backs this up by talking about how they both lived life “a quarter mile at a time.” The two then part ways as the camera pans to Brian smiling and the film ends with their vehicles on separate roads. This was both emotionally devastating but artfully constructed at the same time. My dad and I were both in tears while watching this scene. It’s clear all the actors involved and the production crew held a great deal of respect for Walker.
The humor is a huge strength of the film. Tyreese Gibson’s role does this for the most part as he tries to be a more integral part of the action and storyline. This is cut with Ludacris bickering with him about the hacker who ends up being an attractive female.
I also enjoyed the use of teamwork and the value of family. These characters have grown together throughout the films with the actors playing them. This truly shows during their individual scenes with each other. Nobody seems stiff or out of place acting in the film. This makes it a much more cohesive experience overall.
The best part about this entry is the racing and action sequences. Each one defies physics but is an absolute adrenaline pumping joy-ride to watch. I don’t take these movies for much more than what they are; fast, action packed, humorous and with a touch of story. This won’t win any Oscars for best film or script, but it may be nominated for effects.
This addition to the franchise is my favorite by far. I’ve grown up with these films and have enjoyed each of them. The action set-pieces and fight sequences have gotten continuously more complex as time went on. The story was never trying to be anything more than a simple A to B plot. It has emotional moments, but I don’t understand critics who say that the story is asinine or shoddy. I think this film is exciting and adrenaline pumping until the very end.
Add in the departure for Walker and his character, and you get one of the best films of the franchise. “Furious 7” receives a 10/10.
The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Is An Exhilarating Firecracker Leading To A Surely Impressive Display In The Future
The Maze Runner films so far have been really well put together as a whole. I can only really give my impressions of the films as I've never read the books but they do things quite well overall. The first movie excels at storytelling by being minimalist in setting and putting focus on characters and narrative instead. The Glade and other small areas connected to it served as a great setting that helped the characters and plot shine. That's why I loved the film so much. It told a story through it's characters and narrative that wasn't held down by a lot of exposition or setting explanation. So many films get muddled in this and the first film finding a way around this problem was exciting to experience. The sequel continues to impress but also starts to explore it's surroundings a bit more as well.
The film opens with our Gladers having escaped their confinement and being rushed to a new facility to escape WCKD. This evil corporation was revealed at the end of the first film to be the ones behind their confinement in the Glade. Their experience was used to test for a cure to a disease known as The Flare. This happened as a result of solar radiation and has systematically killed off or infected a majority of Earth's population. Once they arrive in their new home they meet others from other Glade experiments.
This was amusing to me as a viewer as I found it vastly interesting to see other Gladers and how they interact with Thomas and his friends. Their reactions to a Glade full of girls and one boy (that one boy being new supporting character Arris) were quite humorous and really helped to sell the idea of them being teens with a very shallow pool of knowledge of the world around them. Soon after this they learn that some are being sent away outside the facility for some mystery purpose. Thomas with some help from Arris learns that they're going to be harvested for organs and other bodily tissues and fluids to create a cure. The disease creates rabid zombie-like creatures known as Cranks and WCKD wishes to end this.
Thomas decides to reveal this to his friends Min-Ho, DryPan, Newt, Winston and Theresa. They eventually escape and learn that their new home is just another WCKD installation headed by Janson, a second-in-command to the leader of the corporation. Janson is played by the same actor as Littlefinger from Game of Thrones and turns in a hell of a performance as a secondary antagonist here. The Gladers escape narrowly and head out into The Scorch, the desolate wasteland left behind after years of radiation and sunlight. They eventually happen upon a resistance group and it's leader Jorge. He is accompanied by his adopted daughter Brenda and the two decide to help the group make it to The Right Hand.
This interaction between the Gladers and these new characters starts to really highlight each characters strengths. Thomas seeks the truth and will stop at nothing to get it. The others like Theresa want answers but are somewhat more timid in how to find them. There's also an exciting sequence involving an abandoned living area now inhabited by Cranks. The special effects for these creatures are phenomenal. They are zombie-like in the way the act but have a very different feel as most have no eyes and have dark blue burns around their faces. This helps to separate them from most other creatures in other films.
We also get our first character death after this. The Gladers realize Winston has been bitten and want to find a cure before he turns. He solemnly requests them to go on without him and leave him with a gun. This scene stood out in stark contrast to most of the film. For a series built upon the concept of teenagers trying to save the world this was immensely dark. The odd thing is that it works really well here. It quickly illustrates the stakes to Thomas and his friends. They lose a dear friend and have to move on regardless of their own fears.
Our heroes eventually find the resistance group they were searching for before. This is preempted by scenes involving Thomas becoming closer with Brenda. In the first film it hinted that Thomas knew Theresa before entering the Glade but it didn't completely focus on a normal romance. So many other films do this and it just becomes trite and boring after multiple films force themselves to have a romance subplot. This film starts to move towards this but with good reason.
Thomas starts to quickly trust Brenda when he is separated from his friends. He has nobody to turn to and as a result the two become quite close. He saves her life from a falling Crank but note before she's bitten. Thomas starts to understand the brevity of the situation and the fact that he has growing feelings for this new person. It helps him grow and become a much more 3-dimensional character as a result.
The conclusion of the film while good left a little to be desired in my opinion. I get that a lot of movies now need a Empire Strikes Back moment where they show the stakes but here it came up multiple times before following through. First they find the rebels then Brenda is partially cured and so on until the actual climax takes place. The climax works for me but I think they could have possibly reordered a few things to make it stronger.
Overall the main cast does a fantastic job. Theresa plays her part as the odd one out. She is the newest to the group since last film but has been with them through so much. Thomas does very well as the leader (thanks in no small part to Dylan O'Brien). He grows exponentially here and really settles well into the role of leader for the group. Newt takes on the adviser role similar to last film. He does well here too and actually manages to help make some tough decisions on the film. Min-Ho takes on the badass quirky type and does it spectacularly. I loved his part in the original and was ecstatic to see he had a bigger role this time around. FryPan is well.....a character I guess? He doesn't get much to do or say here but he's loyal and helpful.
The new characters shine well here also. As I said seeing Littlefinger here as a villain was understandable and amazing. Seeing this manipulative and conniving man play the same role in two franchises was actually a welcomed surprise. His addition to the villainous WCKD dynamic was well utilized. I also loved getting to meet and see grow both Brenda and Jorge. At first I was unsure of their importance but by the film's end they cement themselves as members of the cast.
Overall this film is wonderful. It's much more action packed than the first and quicker paced to boot. This works as a continuation of the story. Thomas and his friends are seeking answers and dealing with the consequences of doing so. This film rightfully amps up the action and helps to pump new blood into the series as well. I had a blast with this film even though there were a few things such as an underutilized character and issues with the climax of the story. I give The Scorch Trials a 9/10.