<![CDATA[5 Minute Movie Guy - Furious 7

It's been nearly a year since Paul Walker's tragic and untimely death. As we mourned the loss of the much admired star, we also wondered what it meant for the fate of his flagship franchise, The Fast and the Furious. The latest film, titled Furious 7, was in the middle of production during Walker's passing. The movie has been long delayed as a result, but is now back on track for an April 2015 release. Paul Walker's unfortunate death really hits home in the trailer as Vin Diesel's character Dominic expresses this is their "one last ride". While it might not be the end of the popular Fast and Furious series, it is regrettably the end of the road for Walker's Brian O'Conner. To complete his scenes, filmmakers have used Walker's two brothers, Caleb and Cody, as stand-ins for his character. We can surely expect a touching and heartfelt send-off for Brian, as a tribute to the career of the late Paul Walker.

As I have confessed to you before, I have yet to watch an entire film in the Fast and Furious series. Given how popular the series was when I was growing up, my avoidance is surely complete sacrilege. In truth, it never sparked my interest until the announcement of Kurt Russell joining this film (which for the record, was prior to Walker's death). I can assure you though that I will be watching this film, on opening weekend, to not only correct my ways, but to pay my respect to Paul Walker. As an avid fan, my sister is certain to make me watch all 6 of the previous films prior to the release of Furious 7, to get me caught up to date.

Furious 7 looks like it's going to be a lot of action-packed over-the-top fun when it comes to theaters in April. I'm most excited about the new additions to the series, including Jason Statham (The Transporter, The Expendables), Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, The Thing), martial arts master Tony Jaa (Ong-bak), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Gladiator), and UFC legend Ronda Rousey (The Expendables 3). Of course, let's not forget about the return of The Rock. Dwayne Johnson will be returning to the film as Luke Hobbs, and the trailer teases a fight between him and the new villain, Ian Shaw, played by Statham. It looks like Furious 7 has all the right pieces to make this the best Fast and Furious film yet! I'm sure Paul Walker would be truly proud.

5 Minute Movie Guy
11.1.14

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