Furious 7 - Blu-ray Review

Details: By Loron Hays; 01 April 2015

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Furious 7 - Movie Review

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Spanning Tokyo, the Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Abu Dhabi and LA, the gas tank of Furious 7 should already be sputtering on empty. The fact that the series – and specifically this movie - is fresher and more energetic than it has any right to be is a cinematic marvel that speaks to the total charisma of the cast and the efforts of the creative talents behind the scenes. Here I am, writing this up after just surviving the emotional thrill ride that is Furious 7 (even the heartless will cry) and I still want more.

Furious 7 adds hot-rods Kurt Russell, Tony Jaa and Jason Statham to the cast of well-seasoned gearheads. That’s right, that gang’s all here: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, AAAAANNNNNNND Tokyo Drift’s Lucas Black as Sean Boswell. They return to square off against the man responsible for Han’s death. Written by Chris Morgan, Furious 7 mixes some serious dramatic weight with an endless barrage of exciting 4-wheeled stunts and over-the-top thrills. Everything about the new round is ridiculous and absolutely necessary for 100% total audience engagement.

Justin Lin – the director of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth installments of this high-octane series - is replaced by The Conjuring's James Wan but nothing feels out of step with a new driver behind the wheel of the franchise. Wan brings a level head and a keen eye for the massive amount of action he’s in charge of. Never could one imagine the director of SAW could also manage this much vehicular sadism. I’m expecting this release to break Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s April records. Whatever the series began as (fast cars, gyrating women, street racing), Furious 7 is no guilty pleasure. This is must-see entertainment that, while never complex, is much more than the revving B-movie engines that fired up the first one 15-years ago.

Oh, Furious 7 is still outrageous but there’s a brilliance to what occurs; a brilliance justified by the fact that audiences – old and young – actually come to the theater to see these characters come together and not give up on each other upon the big screen. Can we at least celebrate that?! The franchise gets people off their asses. The bottom line is that the series, especially after adding Dwayne Johnson to our gang of anti-heroes, simply does not disappoint moviegoers. This is “muscle” a lot of franchises, outside of Marvel Studios, cannot even begin to flex.

As improbable as the stunts and survival rates in the new entry are, the fact that you buy the events in Furious 7 (and applaud and want to see it happen all over again) is reason enough to see (and see again and, eventually, buy) the film. The stunts range from jumping a sports car from one skyscraper to another to actually skydiving vehicles from planes. The stunts aren’t gimmicky at all. They are shot with minimal CGI and largely practical, and full of wheelhouse carnage for extreme impact.

Not one to usually get caught up in a wave of hysteria, even I fist-pumped (after wiping the obligatory tears away) my way out of the theater and back to my car. The temptation to speed home was too great…but I had to draw the line at jumping skyscrapers with my Altima. The stars of Furious 7 don’t resist that urge and when you see Diesel survive wreck after wreck and then go toe-to-toe with Statham in what has to be one of the grittiest over-the-top on-screen pummeling every documented, you begin to understand that these people just can’t die.

The truth, of course, is that they can and they do. Walker’s unfortunate death from speeding definitely haunts this picture. You feel it in almost every frame. How the filmmakers have handled the character and his eventual retirement is a bravado moment involving CGI trickery, body doubles, and the actor’s own kin. It is a satisfactory and chilling narrative, worthy of the tears the film manages to bring to the surface. Even the dedication is a touching moment.

With a need for speed, Furious 7 is petrol-headed heavy metal mayhem at its finest. Seven films in and STILL GOING STRONG. Who would have ever thought it possible? Bring on New York! Here’s to lucky number 8.

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[tab title="Film Details"]

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action and mayhem, suggestive content and brief strong language
Runtime: 137 mins
Director: James Wan
Writer: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
Genre: Action
Tagline: Vengeance hits home
Memorable Movie Quote: "Dominic Toretto. You don't know me, but you're about to."
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Official Site: http://www.furious7.com
Release Date: April 3, 2015
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: No details available.
Synopsis: Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Furious 7. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black.

They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell. Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Furious 7 - Movie Review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - September 15, 2015
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1; Spanish: DTS 5.1; French (Canada): DTS 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; iTunes digital copy; Digital copy; DVD copy
Region Encoding: A

The technical presentation is just as good this time around as it was the last time the gang was assembled. Universal provides an expectedly excellent 2.35:1/1080p/AVC-encoded transfer for Furious 7. Detail is abundant and impressive, and each frame benefits from beautifully realistic texture and stunning clarity. There's plenty of texture in the scenes AND the worldwide locations. The colors pop and the contrast is strong. There are no compression issues or digital artifacts. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack uses all speakers well, especially the bass, which is felt in the soft and tingly areas of the body every single time an engine roars. I dare you not to pee your pants during the air drop sequence. The noise alone is that stirring.

Supplements:

Commentary:

None

Special Features:

Featuring an extended version of the movie, the extras included on the release are pretty solid.

There are four deleted scenes, a 30-minute look at the film with James Wan (probably why there is no commentary), a look back at the franchise, closer examinations of some of the stunts and fight scenes, a music video, and a look at the amusement park ride. Also included for buyers is a DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.