Furious 7

If it weren't for the completely unnecessary digital shenanigans with the drone and helicopter at the end, it would have been even better, because otherwise, everything in the seventh Fast & Furious is probably better than last time. The characters have something to say, the action is mostly very over the top but at least entertaining, and the man-on-man (and woman-on-woman) battles are just as interesting as the parachuting cars. Especially Vin Diesel versus Jason Statham... Now that's what I call a proper finale! Otherwise, I also have to bow to the tricksters, because I thought Paul Walker was digital only at the very end, before that damn touching cut; and yet I saw in the "making of" that he was digital much earlier – and it had never even occurred to me. (2020-06-11)

This routine action flick is big and noisy, but with a completely forgettable script and direction. The Emirates will cover part of the budget, so let’s throw in some skyscraper-climbing in Abu Dhabi, so as not to feel inferior next to the Burj Khalifa in M:I. Then a tragic event interrupts the filming and we have to invest in a digital Paul Walker, so we’ll finish up at home in LA to save a few bucks. The best character (played by The Rock) gets too little screen time and you’ve already seen the best action scenes in the trailer. The final farewell to Paul was nice. (2015-03-31)

The nicest thing is that after the previous airplane games and intercity jumps, the seventh installment appears more believable most of the time. Not that cars with parachutes or crossing from one skyscraper to another are particularly realistic, but there is a certain spark of greater liveliness in them. Perhaps it's thanks to the 4D experience, which allowed me to personally experience all the falls and twists. Perhaps it is the merit of saying goodbye to Paul Walker, which works excellently in an emotional way. However, the most positive impressions are left by the domestic finale, which surpasses the already breathtaking passages from the Caucasus and the Emirates with its diverse involvement of all participants. The method of crossing, the Rock's idea for healing fractures, and above all, the showdown between Vin Diesel and Jason Statham are attractions pumped with adrenaline, brought to the level of a perfect experience. For the kind of movies whose mistakes you can only spot a few hours after your heart rate subsides, this group still has no competition. (2015-03-31)

The only franchise that goes up in quality from episode to episode, not down. This is a Band-Aid for Expendables 3 for me, because the number of familiar faces gathered here is mind-boggling. The 250 million budget is evident in every shot, which are goosebumps-inducing thanks to James Wan's craftsmanship. The highlights for me are definitely the car jump through the Abu Dhabi building and the car drop from the plane, these are scenes we haven't had the chance to see anywhere else yet. Of course, the well shot fights were a delight, surprisingly I liked Tony Jaa vs Paul Walker and Ronda Rousey vs Michelle Rodríguez fights the most (I've never seen a better female fight in my life), but even Jason Statham and The Rock and Vin Diesel gave each other some decent punches. There's also great humour provided by Tyrese Gibson, who is excellent as always, and there's no shortage of hot asses, spicy cars and decent music. My only complaint is the finale, which doesn't come as much of a surprise given the events throughout the film. Not counting Asia, this is the best American action film available. The farewell to Paul Walker was cute. 95%. (2015-04-03)

You would not resist falling in love with it if the movie had been more (much more) self-conscious as it was in the Rock or Statham scenes. In this way it is an unprecedented “over the guilty pleasure top" soap opera action movie with over-the top story line, which despite having an ultimate testosterone cast is lame, because instead of these guys punching each other all the time, the computers animating their CGI doubles in flying cars in many different ways are applied. And it is captures by a shaking camera, where the overall confusing chaos is multiplied by the epilepsy-inducing editing. Last time we saw such a waste of potential/cast was in... Well, actually sixth Fast and Furious. PS: Diesel will say "We are/I was a family" in different ways perhaps even more often than "I'm Groot" in the Guardians of the Galaxy. (2015-04-02)