Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Scouting then and now ... Jeffrey Gillespie: The United States and Iran make a deal ... Guest Opinion: Synthetic turf is the wrong answer ... Our View: Scouting then and now ... Jeffrey Gillespie: The United States and Iran make a deal ... Guest Opinion: Synthetic turf is the wrong answer ... MOVIE REVIEW 'Furious 7' — buckle up for another great ride Comment By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Furious 7, 140 min, Rated PG-13 Hard to believe, but this behemoth of a franchise, “Furious 1-7,” started some 14 year ago. That was well before sequels morphed into franchises, which have become a staple of most Hollywood studios. Producers and writers have in the last decade counted on audiences viewing one installment and almost instantly beginning to wait for the next. It’s the equivalent of those old Republic Saturday afternoon matinees that treated young audiences to “Indiana Jones” type adventures, always careful to interrupt the action just as the hero was in serious jeopardy (driving off a cliff while duking it out with the bad guys in the rear seat of a very large black Packard), the screen suddenly filled with the promise: “To Be Continued!” “Fast and Furious 1” found a recipe that worked (who knew?) and kept right on going. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) was the quintessential heavy. His sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), the attractive love interest for the charismatic Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), who began the “Furious” journey as an undercover cop, but soon became part of what Dom refers to repeatedly as his “family.” Brian and Dominic are both serious gearheads, and in truth some of the most attractive characters in the franchise are cars — often vintage muscle cars, impeccably restored, their massive engines all tricked out with blowers, carbs and nitro injection. Some are heavily modified Japanese factory cars in jellybean colors with spoilers and power to spare. In other words, each film is all about frenetic speed, saturated with brio. In fact, most fans would be hard pressed to recall the narratives of the last seven. What remains unforgettable, however, are the countless set pieces that have not only involved gorgeous cars going very, very fast, but lots of gravity defying stunts that take your breath away. Reaction: Did they really just do that? Cars parachuting out of a perfectly good airplane? No worries. Driving under semis at high speeds? Yep. Tell me they didn’t just wreck that incredible black/oxblood red vintage Charger? Indeed. And as CGI has improved over the last decade — one could argue that techies have dominated one very large corner of Hollywood movies, to include anything made from the comics or sci-fi/fantasy — the action scenes have only gotten better. Outrageously better. Sure you have to suspend your disbelief when watching “Furious” (take your pick), but where’s the fun if you didn’t? What the series demonstrates is that we, as a culture, are still deeply enamored of the internal combustion engine and car culture. We regard the throaty roar of a jacked-up Hemi V-8 engine as a symphony of sound. It’s music that a Prius or a hybrid simply can’t replicate. And the thrill (and it is a thrill) of sitting behind the wheel as a hot car surges straight ahead, tires smoking, down a city street, the tachometer redlining, is a heart-pumping rush. And illegal. Regarding “Furious 7,” there is embedded in the film an inherent sadness that makes the film all the more poignant. Paul Walker was killed in a car wreck just before “Furious 7” completed filming. There are moments in the movie that are, indeed, touching. Brian is now a family man, married to Mia, they have one son and another on the way. Mia worries that Brian “misses the bullets,” meaning the adrenalin rush of hanging out with Dom while barely slipping out of some very tight spots. In effect, he and Mia say goodbye on the phone and the audience says goodbye to Brian, knowing that it’s only with the help of the techies and body doubles that “7” was seamlessly completed. Will there be an “8”? Likely. Until we run out of high-octane fuel. Will the stories matter? Not in the least. These movies are not about tightly structured narratives (“7” is really two stories in one and makes hardly any sense at all). But then, ultimately, it’s all about the ride. By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501