Film Review - Furious 7

Need For Speed

Film: Furious 7

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham

Directed by: James Wan

Duration: 2 hrs 17 mins

Rating: * * 1 / 2

Since they don’t have much of a plot anyway, come 2035 and I can see Fast and Furious 16 hitting the screens. In this franchise, the villain is merely an excuse for some car porn and Furious 7 is no different. The only dissimilarity would be the emotional factor, since this is actor Paul Walkers last outing.

But otherwise it is the same stuff, different cars. Since the cars have been long enough on road, this time you see them falling out of an aeroplane. Of course they land safely.

Given the impressive work director James Wan has done with horror films like Insidious and The Conjuring, one was hoping he would pull off something different in this action flick. But he is let down by the screenplay and the action scenes which are way over the top. In one sequence, a posh car flies out of what looks like the 60^th floor of a skyscraper. And where does it land? On the 50^th floor of the neighboring building.  That’s not all. It lands in the adjacent building after that.

Jason Statham plays Deckard Shaw who wants to avenge his brother’s death, he is gunning for Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) who are leading a quiet life till the peace is broken.

Dominic is helping Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) recover her memory after the incident in the previous film while Brian is spending time with his family. When Shaw attacks them, the Furious team is assembled taking them from country to another which is just another excuse for more mindless action. 

Fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed, there is enough being served here for them to enjoy. Car chases happen at the drop of a hat and there is also a race at the beginning that springs out of nowhere. 

What works in favor of the film is the chemistry between the characters, they is bonhomie between them. The final tribute to Walker is certainly one of the better moments in the film.

Published in The Navhind Times on 5th April 2015 

www.twitter.com/sachinchatte

 

Film Review - The Expendables 3

Retirement Plans 

Film: The Expendables 3

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas

Directed by: Patrick Hughes

Duration: 2 hrs 9 mins

Rating: * *

The Expendables 2 was decent fun because it didn’t take itself too seriously unlike the first installment and part 3 also suffers from the same problem. Laborious and too long, there isn’t much excitement in this enterprise either even though it has got more than handful action heroes on the scene. 

When you don’t have much of a story to tell, a film like this has to be snappy, instead, this drags its feet for over two hours. In the opening action scene, Doc (Wesley Snipes) a former Expendable is rescued from a high security prison. In one of the genuinely funny scenes, when asked why he was in jail, he replies “tax evasion” referring to his real life ordeal. 

After taking a break from his old team (Statham, Lundgreen et al) Barney (Stallone) discovers that his old friend Stonebanks (Mel Gibson) has become an  arms dealers and turned into an enemy.  His new team includes a lady (Ronda Rousey, a martial arts expert and Olympic medalist) but since the story has to tie up together, the old timers have to make an appearance to save the day.

Barring the character of a bumbling Antonio Banderas who is desperate to join the team, the rest don’t have much of a spark. Harrison Ford plays a CIA agent while the likes of Schwarznegger and Statham reprise their roles.  Mel Gibson as the villain adds some zing in this otherwise routine enterprise.  The action, especially the climax in a deserted building is over the top. While cross cutting is usually used to show action at two different places, here it alternates between three places along with ultra fast cutting.

If at all the Expendables come back, I hope they have a better outing next time. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 24th Aug 2014

www.twitter.com/sachinchatte