Furious 7 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Furious 7 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 27, 2015

This time it ain't just about being fast.

When one considers cinema's top franchises -- Star Wars, James Bond, Harry Potter -- The Fast and the Furious isn't usually the first to rev up to the tip of the tongue. Arguably the loudest and most muscular of all the franchises is also one of the sneakiest on its way up the charts, currently sitting as the seventh-most lucrative of all time thanks in large part, coincidentally, to its seventh installment. Furious 7 absolutely blew up the charts, throttling its way to a billion dollars in ticket sales faster than any other movie in cinema history (at least until Jurassic World stomped its way to the top; pretty solid year for Universal, no?), zipping on past a couple of A-listers -- literally -- in Avatar and The Avengers on its way to a total worldwide gross of around $1.5 billion. The franchise is throwing around some serious numbers as a result, and who could have ever thought it would explode to such incredible heights? Much like the entire franchise, the first film is itself sneaky-good, one of the better Action movies of its generation and the foundation for what has become not just a collection of films but a cinematic family that's grown together and evolved to be sure but still solidly constructed on that deep core cemented back in 2001. That core, of course, was forever changed during filming, but Furious 7 marches on as not only a spectacular film and arguably the best the franchise has to offer but also a fitting final tribute to its fallen star.

It's on. Again.

Some franchise spoilers appear below.

A new, revenge-minded enemy named Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) has his sights set on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew. But action is the furthest thing from their minds. Dom is working hard to rebuild his relationship with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), who has lost her memory. Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) has traded in his street racer for a minivan and is living life as a father with his son Jack (Miller and Charlie Kimsey) and girlfriend Mia (Jordana Brewster). But their transition into a simpler world won't come quietly. Shaw puts DSS Agent and friend of the group, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), in the hospital and turns his sights on the others. To beat him, however, they're going to need help. Enter Frank Petty (Kurt Russell), a black ops type who promises to aid the crew in bringing Shaw down if they in turn retrieve an advanced global tracking system known as "God's Eye" and rescue its creator, a hacker extraordinaire named Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), before she and the device fall into the wrong hands. Now, the crew must drive around the globe to secure the cargo and ensure a showdown with its nemesis.

The franchise's evolution from "undercover sting into the world illegal street racing" to arguably the biggest, baddest Action franchise going today makes for an interesting case study in cinema evolution. Furious 7 retains the franchise's core elements of muscle cars, musclebound heroes, and sexy women but shows its full evolution to wild, gun-toting, blow-stuff-up, insane stunt extravaganza that actually still works very well as an extension of the series' core values and the characters' central qualities. Furious 7 sees no shortage of iconic, breathtaking action moments that will leave audiences shouting "wow!" and "dang!" as it doesn't just settle for more of the same recycled antics but rather innovates with dangerously cool stunts and sequences that embody both the franchise's traditional four-wheeled mayhem as well as its newfound foray into top-shelf action. But more than that -- and more important than that -- is how well Furious 7 gets to the real heart of the franchise, and that's in the heart of its characters. The big action is grounded in the tangible bond of family that exists amongst the core, and the movie is clear to acknowledge as much as its central strength in a key moment where a newcomer sizes up the group. Cast chemistry is off-the-charts strong and, more than anything else this film or the entire series has to offer, the way it translates to a family of characters makes for the single most defining element, the lifeblood, essentially, that elevates The Fast and the Furious from popcorn series to legitimate, lovable, and long-lasting franchise.

Big action and wild spectacle aside, Furious 7 will always be remembered as the final film to feature the late Paul Walker, who died, ironically and tragically, in an unrelated car accident during production. His death has been well-documented around the Internet and the effect it had on the film widely publicized, and yet despite the blow, Furious 7 manages to overcome and prove itself as one of the best in the franchise, if not the best, right up there with the first in every conceivable way. Director James Wan manages almost the impossible with the movie, carrying it to unparalleled heights even with the air of sadness that hangs over it. The movie shows enough brains, brawn, and heart -- all in the right proportions -- that audiences are likely to get caught up in the story, the thrills, and the central emotions as it builds through its narrative and impressive action until it takes the time to offer a beautiful send-off in the final minutes that, right down to the last shot, gets to the heart of both the franchise's sense of character togetherness and, more specifically, Walker's death. In some ways, it's a shame the franchise continues in 2017 considering it seemingly couldn't end any better than it does here, but if it, and any other future installments, are treated with the same level of respect this film shows for its family, it shouldn't be all bad.

Furious 7 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Furious 7 sparkles on Blu-ray. The digital shoot nearly passes for film quality, producing an image that's razor-sharp and that leaves behind the flatness and glossiness associated with lower end digital productions. The movie looks amazing, yielding an endless supply of naturally complex details. Faces are the most obvious. Close-ups reveal an astonishing amount of texture, including lines, pores, pockmarks, blood veins, and even the stubble on Diesel's shaved head. Rocky terrains are impressive, too, with even the finest little textures appearing tactile and naturally rough. Image sharpness is consistent with no blurry or smudgy corners to be seen, allowing the movie's flashy cars and impressively diverse locations to dazzle. Colors are vibrant and pleasing, pushing a hair warm by design but exploding with impressive vitality, particularly when considering automobile paint jobs, greenery, blue skies, and the bright clothes at Race Wars that strongly stand apart from the earthy desert backgrounds. Black levels are impressively deep and consistently so and flesh tones are neutral with only that mild warm push appearing in a few spots. The image appears free from even a hint of unwanted distractions like noise, banding, and macroblocking. This is a stunner of a transfer from Universal and one that's showroom floor ready.

Furious 7 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Furious 7's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is all about movement and weight. Music spills from every speaker with a definitive clarity that, even in the deepest Hip-Hop numbers, remains impressively detailed and defined throughout the range. But the low end dominates the music, sending a satisfying thrust of energy pounding into the stage with every beat. Action scenes are equally intense and well defined. Explosions send earth-shattering concussions into the listening area while debris flings through every speaker. Gunfire is crisp and detailed with satisfying volume and attention to detail. Ambient effects, whether rowdy Race Wars crowds or light insect details in quieter scenes, are naturally filling and expertly reproduced for proper immersion. But the highlight, of course, comes with the cars. Engine revs are deep and potent, particularly the classic muscle cars. Vehicles zip around the stage, speaker to speaker, with startling ease and tangible sense of placement. Every action scene plays like a well choreographed and complicated dance of sound that floods the stage with immaculately executed details that fully immerse the audience into the movie. The track is rounded into final, flawless form by effortless dialogue reproduction with a firm center placement.

Furious 7 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Furious 7 contains a few deleted scenes and a plethora of featurettes. Also included for buyers is a DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy. This set also contains the film's theatrical cut (2:17:26 runtime) and an extended cut (2:19:54 runtime).

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Letty at Clinic (2:09), Ramsey/Dom (2:15), Dressed Up (0:57), and Letty Call from Nurse (0:38).
• Talking Fast (1080p, 31:47): Director James Wan hosts a closer look at some of the key moments from the film. This is essentially a mini-commentary in which Wan discusses some technically and dramatically insightful details over a large monitor that shows both clips form the film and an abundance of behind-the-scenes footage. Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris also appear to share a few thoughts.
• Back to the Starting Line (1080p, 12:11): A look at the franchise's growth; the sense of family between the characters; the new villain and Jason Statham's performance; the works of Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, and Tony Jaa in the film; James Wan's direction; and Paul Walker's death.
• Flying Cars (1080p, 5:42): A discussion of creating one of the film's signature action scenes.
• Snatch and Grab (1080p, 7:31): A look at making the continuation of the scene examined in the previous supplement.
• Tower Jumps (1080p, 6:53): This piece focuses on another of the film's signature car stunt scenes.
• Inside the Fight (1080p): Glimpses into the making of four of the film's hand-to-hand fight scenes. Included are Hobbs vs. Shaw (3:15), Girl Fight (3:20), Dom vs. Shaw (2:52), and Tej Takes Action (1:36).
• The Cars of Furious (1080p, 10:42): As the title suggests, this supplement offers audiences a look at the cars seen in the movie.
• Race Wars (1080p, 6:34): A look at the importance of the event to this film and the greater franchise.
• Music Video (1080p, 4:05): "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
• Making of Fast & Furious Supercharged Ride (1080i, 8:15): A look inside the Fast and Furious-themed amusement park ride.

Furious 7 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Furious 7's success wasn't just a result of an outpouring of support for its fallen star. The movie is a total blast, easily one of the finest Action films of the past several years and a standout in what has become one hell of a good franchise that, even this deep into its existence, hasn't lost its edge. It's also more than the sum of its explosions and stunts. The film embodies the definition of a franchise family. It boasts a beautiful roster of closely knit characters that ride together towards a final, heartfelt goodbye that culminates in one of the most satisfying final scenes in recent memory. In short, it's one of the most complete mainstream movies of the year and one of the unquestionable must-see films of 2015. Universal's Blu-ray is terrific. Pristine video and audio are supported by a nice assortment of extra content. Very highly recommended.