Furious 7 (2015)
April 6, 2015 1:34 PM - Subscribe
Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for the death of his brother.
Statham joins the franchise.
Statham joins the franchise.
I haven't seen any of these movies, but the first thing that made me want to was recently catching a short interview with Vin Diesel in which he was smart, funny, self-deprecating, and charming. I thought, "Huh, maybe I'd enjoy a movie this guy made." Now my twitter feed is lit up with people saying how much they love the franchise and linking to articles that talk about what they like about it, and I'm pretty sure me and the kids are going to dive in. My almost-14-year-old has been taking a film studies class and he's gotten very interested in practical versus CGI special effects (he's developing an appreciation for practical effects) so reading that most of the effects are practical, and watching a short video about them dropping cars out of an airplane, made me think he'd both enjoy the action and appreciate the craft.
posted by not that girl at 2:07 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by not that girl at 2:07 PM on April 6, 2015
Haven't seen it yet (going tonight)...But wasn't Statham's character named "Ian Shaw" in the credits for his cameo in part 6?
They really should have named him Rick Shaw, to show just how slow he is compared to our fast/furious heroes.
posted by doctornecessiter at 4:34 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
They really should have named him Rick Shaw, to show just how slow he is compared to our fast/furious heroes.
posted by doctornecessiter at 4:34 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Saw it on Saturday. This is a big dumb golden retriever of a movie, gloriously doing dumb shit with such infectious joy that you can't help but suspend your disbelief and cheer for it.
G.K. Chesterton has a lovely bit in Orthodoxy about how relentless children are, how they never get tired of telling or hearing the same joke or doing or watching the same trick over and over again, how they say, "do it again!' until you are exhausted.
This movie is that, in the best way possible.
posted by gauche at 10:43 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
G.K. Chesterton has a lovely bit in Orthodoxy about how relentless children are, how they never get tired of telling or hearing the same joke or doing or watching the same trick over and over again, how they say, "do it again!' until you are exhausted.
This movie is that, in the best way possible.
posted by gauche at 10:43 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I had fun watching this movie. I watched the rest this past week in preparation.
I have to say: the sexism of the films (in particular this last one) has really bothered me. Some people have mentioned how progressive the casting is, with a lot of people of different races playing nuanced and worthwhile characters, and that's true, but the constant use of women as eye candy and long shots on their asses and such gets really, truly, deeply annoying after a while. And a lot of the lines designed to 'pop' are pretty gross, too – the Rock's comment about "I'll make him wish his mama had kept her legs closed" in particular.
But, on the other side of it, the characters are mostly pretty good, even the women, who (when they aren't eye candy) are pretty well respected and given a chance to be actual people. And the whole tribute to Walker at the end was really classy and touching.
So: problematic, but fun for what it was.
posted by koeselitz at 1:55 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have to say: the sexism of the films (in particular this last one) has really bothered me. Some people have mentioned how progressive the casting is, with a lot of people of different races playing nuanced and worthwhile characters, and that's true, but the constant use of women as eye candy and long shots on their asses and such gets really, truly, deeply annoying after a while. And a lot of the lines designed to 'pop' are pretty gross, too – the Rock's comment about "I'll make him wish his mama had kept her legs closed" in particular.
But, on the other side of it, the characters are mostly pretty good, even the women, who (when they aren't eye candy) are pretty well respected and given a chance to be actual people. And the whole tribute to Walker at the end was really classy and touching.
So: problematic, but fun for what it was.
posted by koeselitz at 1:55 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I LOVED this movie.
It continually poses the question: "Can things get worse?",
and answers with "Yes. Yes, they can."
posted by alchemist at 4:20 AM on April 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
It continually poses the question: "Can things get worse?",
and answers with "Yes. Yes, they can."
posted by alchemist at 4:20 AM on April 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I was talking to somebody and mentioned that The Rock sort of seems like he's in a Superhero movie at the end of this.
"Does he punch an airplane out of the sky?" my friend asked.
"Well, sort of" I said. And then thought about it.
"Twice!"
posted by maxsparber at 11:18 AM on April 8, 2015
"Does he punch an airplane out of the sky?" my friend asked.
"Well, sort of" I said. And then thought about it.
"Twice!"
posted by maxsparber at 11:18 AM on April 8, 2015
I have stolen
The cars
That were in your
Race
And which
You were planning
to use
In crimes
Forgive me
They were
So fast
And so furious
- Kelsey D. Atherton
posted by k8lin at 11:20 AM on April 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
The cars
That were in your
Race
And which
You were planning
to use
In crimes
Forgive me
They were
So fast
And so furious
- Kelsey D. Atherton
posted by k8lin at 11:20 AM on April 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
My gf and I heart the F&F movies, even that one instalment that was just a plane on a runway from like the opening credits until the closing credits. Looking forward to this.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:14 PM on April 8, 2015
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:14 PM on April 8, 2015
Googling makes me think that I the only person in the world to be reminded of Stripes by that heavily armed recreational vehicle, man.
There might have been a nod to The Italian Job, too.
posted by NortonDC at 9:48 PM on April 8, 2015
There might have been a nod to The Italian Job, too.
posted by NortonDC at 9:48 PM on April 8, 2015
The answer to your Jesus q is yes cuz he'd carbonize it. Matthew 21:18-22.
posted by mono blanco at 9:20 PM on April 9, 2015
posted by mono blanco at 9:20 PM on April 9, 2015
Fact-checking Furious 7: Can you really break out of a cast by flexing your muscles?
"There is no question: if someone wasn't hurting, if someone was strong enough, and if the cast wasn't reinforced enough in certain spots, someone could definitely do what The Rock did in that scene," Novack said.
posted by Gin and Broadband at 6:02 AM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
"There is no question: if someone wasn't hurting, if someone was strong enough, and if the cast wasn't reinforced enough in certain spots, someone could definitely do what The Rock did in that scene," Novack said.
posted by Gin and Broadband at 6:02 AM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
So. much. testosterone. So many vertigo-inducing shots. I need Dramamine. Lots of it. Walker and the cliff sequence. Terrific. The audience cheered even though it was completely ludicrous. Does The Rock just keep getting bigger in every movie? Loved The Hulk shoutout. The car going through three hi-rise buildings, the skydiving cars, the discussion of how hackers are supposed to look. Los Angeles, baby!
Not sure 7 quite passes the Bechdel test but fuck, yeah, on the diversity of the cast. I missed Han. Good to see Caleb from American Gothic again but, dude, that accent is not cute when you're an adult. My biggest problem was trying not to root for Stathem. Stathem. I swear he just turns up and gives that smile--that's 50% of his acting skills and it works.
Take away Abu Dhabi, shorten to an hour, add actual bloody faces and you've got Banshee. I'll watch this again, definitely.
I did feel like there were a few shots that looked like Walker's brother but that might have been because I walked in knowing some of the creative ways they worked to fill in the gaps.
Salute, Mi Familia
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 12:00 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not sure 7 quite passes the Bechdel test but fuck, yeah, on the diversity of the cast. I missed Han. Good to see Caleb from American Gothic again but, dude, that accent is not cute when you're an adult. My biggest problem was trying not to root for Stathem. Stathem. I swear he just turns up and gives that smile--that's 50% of his acting skills and it works.
Take away Abu Dhabi, shorten to an hour, add actual bloody faces and you've got Banshee. I'll watch this again, definitely.
I did feel like there were a few shots that looked like Walker's brother but that might have been because I walked in knowing some of the creative ways they worked to fill in the gaps.
Salute, Mi Familia
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 12:00 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
My only disappointment is we didn't get the payoff I was expecting of seeing Dom (or better, Letty) finally take a swing with the sledge hammer to her tombstone. I guess that would have seemed in poor taste juxtaposed with the tribute to Paul Walker (I really liked the visual of his car peeling off down the other road -- everything in this film looked really great).
But pretty much everything else was just huge dopey fun. I was surprised by how thrilling and delightfully silly the parachuting cars was. It felt like something I would have done playing with my Hot Wheels when I was 8.
posted by straight at 3:54 PM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
But pretty much everything else was just huge dopey fun. I was surprised by how thrilling and delightfully silly the parachuting cars was. It felt like something I would have done playing with my Hot Wheels when I was 8.
posted by straight at 3:54 PM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
How Did This Get Made? Furious 7 (An Oral History of STUNTS)
posted by the man of twists and turns at 1:18 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 1:18 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
We ride the Fast And Furious series from B-movie start to A-list finish
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:15 AM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:15 AM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
(from the comments in the A.V. Club article)
I have stolen
The cars
That were in your
Race
And which
You were planning
to use
In crimes
Forgive me
They were
So fast
And so furious
-- Vin Diesel Vincent (aka Kelsey D. Atherton)
posted by straight at 11:31 AM on September 18, 2015
I have stolen
The cars
That were in your
Race
And which
You were planning
to use
In crimes
Forgive me
They were
So fast
And so furious
-- Vin Diesel Vincent (aka Kelsey D. Atherton)
posted by straight at 11:31 AM on September 18, 2015
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About the only downsides for me was the Paul Walker piece at the end felt a little manipulative because it went so long (maybe rode a line too closely between being respectful but also being a tad exploitative) but I totally understand they should do and say something about losing him. The only other thing I wished happened in F7 was I wanted to see The Rock jump out of his ambulance and punch the drone out of the air during the final boss scene.
posted by mathowie at 1:42 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]