Furious 7 would have gotten the world’s attention when it was released back in March based solely on interest in how filmmakers and the Fast and Furious family would handle the death of one of their own. When Paul Walker died in a horrible car wreck, the future of the franchise was in doubt. When the film landed, the audience and critical response was visceral. Who would have ever thought that James Wan’s Furious 7 would produce such an outpouring of emotion that included a well full of tears and, yes, it was also an astoundingly awesome movie.
Now Furious 7 Extended Edition has arrived on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download formats with over 90 minutes of bonus features that take us behind the scenes of an action movie masterpiece that has resonated so much with audiences that it has cracked the top 10 box office list of all time.
Vin Diesel, Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson anchor a returning cast in the film that spans the planet and delivers not only emotional fireworks, but action movie sequences that time will surely anoint as some of the most incredible ever undertaken.
At the end of Furious 6, we saw one of Dom’s (Diesel) own get gunned down by a man (Jason Statham) bent on revenge. We learn that the killer was Luke Evans’ Shaw’s brother and he is set on coming after our Fast and Furious family, one by one. So, as Furious 7 begins, Statham’s Deckard Shaw phones Dom and informs him of this plan. So, never ones to sit idly by, the gang swings into action and seeks to take him out before he takes them out.
They will be joined by Johnson’s Agent Hobbs, of course, as he is the one who put this Fast family in danger’s way in the first place!
The locales of Furious 7 are equally as impressive as the action sequences. From Abu Dhabi to returning to the streets of Los Angeles where this series was born, Wan and his filmmaking team have given Fast and Furious fans a film that will stand among the best, if not the best, of the entire series.
And in terms of how they handle the death of Walker, it is a supreme salute and done with class. It was a huge mystery how the passing of one of the film’s biggest players would even work, but Wan and his team have outdone themselves on many levels, not the least of which is how to say goodbye to an integral member of a beloved franchise with power and panache.
When it comes to bonus features, dare we say they only add fuel to the fire that is the fantastic film in the first place? Sometimes an extended edition can feel like a cash grab to get fans of a film to shell out money to buy the home video for extra footage and alternative endings and the like that don’t fit with the storyline that was established so well in the theatrical release. That is so not the case here. The extended edition on the Blu-Ray is a welcomed addition and every second of additional footage and sequences not only is a joy to watch, but enhances the story and, in fact, the series as a whole.
When it comes to bonus features that take us behind the scenes of Wan’s masterwork, we have to start with two action sequences that will make your jaw drop from the motion picture.
The first is Flying Cars. Whoever came up with the idea for the stunt where Dom and his team drive off of an airplane and parachute to earth is simultaneously insane and brilliant. It’s one thing to have an idea for an action sequence that has never before been attempted, but then the question arises: How do you execute it? Flying Cars takes us inside that effort and it is nothing short of mesmerizing.
The second is Tower Jumps. During the gang’s journey to Abu Dhabi, there is a stunt that we’ve never seen in a movie before… a car jumping out of a high rise building and landing in a high rise next door. Again, death-defying is one way to describe it… absolutely insane is another! Watching the team show off how this was accomplished is stunning to say the least.
One thing, amongst many, that the Fast and Furious franchise is known for is its cars. Therefore, an inside look at the cars of Furious 7 would never get old and that is certainly the case with The Cars of Furious. Listen to the car coordinator and his team, along with the cast and the filmmakers, take you on a journey of automotive excellence and talk about how the vehicles were chosen and what each adds to the film.
Another aspect of this franchise that is so special is they have never lost sight of where they have been. That is never truer than in the bonus feature Back to the Starting Line. Producer Neal Moritz, Chris Morgan and the cast talk with new to the series helmer Wan as they get nostalgic for all things Fast and Furious. It’s a trip down memory lane that will also prove emotional and we all know why.
But, then again, the entire Furious 7 journey is one that hits the heartstrings, as well as one that sends the heart racing.
Movie Itself: A
Bonus Features: A