Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is hot on the heels of Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel) and crew after what happened to his brother. Torretto & Co. are recruited into a mission to retrieve a computer program called the God’s Eye and are in the middle of a power struggle from a Somalian terrorist and a shady government official for the device in which can make any technological device into a weapon.
This film picks up almost immediately after the previous one and doesn’t stop at all. I don’t know how but they continue to raise the stakes but each film finds a way of going bigger and bigger. I do like the fact that they have found a way to tie all of the films together instead of doing standalone adventures for every film. Tokyo Drift was the one that stood out like a sore thumb for a while and now there is an actual timeline that mixes it in which I am actually impressed how they did it story wise and I enjoyed the cameo by Lucas Black in this film (even though you can see the age difference between scenes from old Tokyo Drift footage and new footage…lol). Now I loved the idea of Statham’s character seeking out the group for revenge but I feel like that plot line got a little convoluted with the inclusion of Kurt Russell and Djimon Hounsou‘s side story. It started to feel a little too busy at times. They should’ve had more of Deckard Shaw hunting down each member of the team rather than him coming in for a fight sequence then it getting interrupted by Russell or Hounsou. Honestly they could’ve probably saved those two for FF8 if anything. People have been touting this film as the best superhero film of the year so far and normally I don’t agree with the status quo but in this case they’re right. The franchise has developed from a simple heist format to an all out action packed thrill ride complete with all sorts of car stunts and I loved it all. Tyrese Gibson is still the guy with the comic relief and humorous quips but it’s funny to see Ludacris and him going back and forth with each other. The Statham and Diesel fight scenes were great and felt like they were straight out street fights with tons of power behind it as well as the fight between Statham and Dwayne Johnson. Now because of the tragic events that happened with Paul Walker, I (and I’m sure everyone else) was wondering how they were going to give his character a send off. Were they going to kill him off? Thankfully and fortunately they gave him a very proper send off that was extremely touching and fitting. Seriously though, I was completely fine for the entire film up until the last 5 minutes or so and then my face started to leak a bit. If you don’t tear up in the slightest then you’re not human. This was definitely the best entry in the franchise so far and it doesn’t seem like it shows any sign of stopping. With Walker’s character gone from the series there will be a big hole to fill and only time will tell if they can produce another quality sequel but for now this one is a must see. 8/10
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