Furious 7 (2015)

[Bruinsfan]

I suppose it's realistic that people with small children aren't going to be jumping cars out of planes and between skyscrapers regularly anymore, but it does suck for the actress. Particularly since Giselle bit the big one and Elena appears to be getting shuffled offstage with the latest movie.

[JBC344]

I'm actually surprised that Elena showed up in this one.  It was definitely a pleasant surprise for me, I do like the character and actress (Elsa).  Ironically I thought her quick scene with Vin was just as impactful as the scenes he had with Michelle.  I think they could find a way to continue Elena in the series, just have her primarily in scenes with Dwayne.  I also heard that they are thinking about bringing Eva Mendez back into the series, since they are a little low on women.

[Chrissytd]

Fu​rious 8 to be released in 2017

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/04/23/vin-diesel-announces-fast-furious-8

[Empress1]

I'm actually surprised that Elena showed up in this one.  It was definitely a pleasant surprise for me, I do like the character and actress (Elsa).  Ironically I thought her quick scene with Vin was just as impactful as the scenes he had with Michelle.  I think they could find a way to continue Elena in the series, just have her primarily in scenes with Dwayne.  I also heard that they are thinking about bringing Eva Mendez back into the series, since they are a little low on women.

I liked her too, and I thought her reaction to seeing Dom made sense. In #6 when Letty came back, Elsa was like "Welp, I'm clearly not going to win here, so take care" but that doesn't mean it didn't sting a little bit. (I've been there.) I thought her reaction to seeing him conveyed that well. She and Hobbs seem to have a great relationship, so it would be nice if they kept her around. I laughed at "I'll stay as late as I want, woman!"

 

I think it would have been braver to kill off Brian, rather than explain his absence by having him be a family man. We all know Paul Walker is dead. I knew they used his brothers and CGI to fill in the blanks, so to speak, but I was unspoiled for the rest and assumed Brian would die. 

[Dejana]

I think it would have been braver to kill off Brian, rather than explain his absence by having him be a family man. We all know Paul Walker is dead. I knew they used his brothers and CGI to fill in the blanks, so to speak, but I was unspoiled for the rest and assumed Brian would die. 

 

On a box office forum I frequent, the guys there generally balked at the idea, thought it would be too hard to watch, cruel to make the rest of the cast portray Brian's death/funeral, and it would cast a pall over the rest of the series, for all the other characters to have to refer to him in the past tense (although this is a regular occurrence when an actor from a TV show dies IRL). I think it will just be weirder and call even more attention to Paul's death, to pretend that Brian is off frolicking on the beach and too busy to make a phone call or five minute visit between car chases, ever again, but mileage varies. Maybe they talked with his family, the cast and did some focus group questioning to decide that Brian living happily ever after was the best option.

[Empress1]

On a box office forum I frequent, the guys there generally balked at the idea, thought it would be too hard to watch, cruel to make the rest of the cast portray Brian's death/funeral, and it would cast a pall over the rest of the series, for all the other characters to have to refer to him in the past tense (although this is a regular occurrence when an actor from a TV show dies IRL). I think it will just be weirder and call even more attention to Paul's death, to pretend that Brian is off frolicking on the beach and too busy to make a phone call or five minute visit between car chases, ever again, but mileage varies. Maybe they talked with his family, the cast and did some focus group questioning to decide that Brian living happily ever after was the best option.

 

Exactly, particularly if Mia is going to be in the subsequent movies. Mia's roles have gotten progressively smaller the past few movies. She's not involved in the action at all. Having her around but not Brian makes no sense. I think the only way the family man angle works is if Brian and Mia both leave - "for the good of our family, we decided to stay in the Dominican Republic and leave this life behind" or whatever. Sucks for Jordana Brewster, but ... 

[JBC344]

Exactly, particularly if Mia is going to be in the subsequent movies. Mia's roles have gotten progressively smaller the past few movies. She's not involved in the action at all. Having her around but not Brian makes no sense. I think the only way the family man angle works is if Brian and Mia both leave - "for the good of our family, we decided to stay in the Dominican Republic and leave this life behind" or whatever. Sucks for Jordana Brewster, but ... 

This is why I mentioned in my earlier post how sad I feel for Jordana Brewster.  Who knows what the subsequent movies will bring and if she will ever be a part of them, but the one negative to the "Brian rides off into the sunset ending" is that Jordana Brewster is potentially losing a job on one of the biggest franchises in movie history as an actress.  I like the character of Mia, and think Jordana is a decent actress (no worse than anyone else in the cast) and don't really understand why they have been sidelining her the last couple of movies. 

 

Now as much as the cast talks about being family they may very well have an interesting way to bring Mia back for number 8, and I hope they do, I just don't like the end result of the Paul Walker tribute to be that an actress is being pushed out of a billion dollar movie franchise.  Especially since she has been apart of it since the beginning. 

[Jediknight]

On a box office forum I frequent, the guys there generally balked at the idea, thought it would be too hard to watch, cruel to make the rest of the cast portray Brian's death/funeral, and it would cast a pall over the rest of the series, for all the other characters to have to refer to him in the past tense (although this is a regular occurrence when an actor from a TV show dies IRL). I think it will just be weirder and call even more attention to Paul's death, to pretend that Brian is off frolicking on the beach and too busy to make a phone call or five minute visit between car chases, ever again, but mileage varies. Maybe they talked with his family, the cast and did some focus group questioning to decide that Brian living happily ever after was the best option.

Also in Fast Five, after finding out Mia was pregnant Brian told Dom about his father, and how he was afraid he'd be like that.  So giving him the happy ending where he is a great husband to Mia, and father to his kids, is perfect.  Brian doesn't become like his father, he's there, he's not dead, and Dom even told him he wouldn't become like his father.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Jediknight

[Bruinsfan]

They could keep and even enhance Mia's involvement with the group if they devoted a certain amount of time to flashbacks featuring her and Dom before the events of the fourth movie - she and Brian didn't become joined at the hip until the end of Fast and Furious. Letty getting her memory back via montage in the latest film provides a good framework for more of the same, it would just have to be stuff on the up-and-up rather than criminal activities.

[NoWillToResist]

This was loud, ridiculous, defied all natural laws, and I couldn't have cared less. I was entertained so I will suspend my disbelief higher than those Dubai skyscrapers.

 

And please bring back Jason Statham, only this time have him be Frank Martin, and he joins the crew.

 

I have wanted this for so long. The franchise is down one kick-ass driver...can the Shaw brothers have another brother who's legit?  :)

 

Will Mia be a proxy for Paul's character or will she be written out to?

 

 

I will be forever thankful if she's written out. She has always been the weakest link for me. I will be more than satisfied to have the series continue with the notion that Brian, Mia and their kids have retired to live the quiet life.

 

I was hoping Lucas Black would join the crew.

 

I vote the opposite. :)  Couldn't stand him. Hell, the two minutes he was on screen with this one were torture for me.

 

Loved the addition of Jason Statham. His fights with Hobbs and Dom were great (though I call my usual bullshit on the lack of bloody noses and/or unconsciousness).

 

Hobbs, while insanely over the top re: his indestructibility, is fast becoming one of my favourites. Despite his predictable and hokey lines, and his over-the-top action moments, there is just something utterly endearing about his character to me.

 

I actually appreciated Letty walking away from Dom to 'find herself' because she felt burdened by Dom's love when she didn't know if she could get those feelings back for him.

 

I cried like a fucking baby at the meta goodbye to Brian. Nice send off to the character and done way more tastefully than I thought such a franchise would be capable of.

 

I think it's a testament to the ridiculousness of the stunts in this franchise when my biggest "oh, come ON!" moment is all of them being able to waltz out of Dubai after laying waste to three of their skyscrapers. If the American gov't had pulled some strings, I could fanwank it, but it had been made clear that these guys were Mission Impossible levels of 'on their own'. Tons of people know exactly what the troublemakers looked like, yet every.single.one.of.them. walked away from the scene of the crime without any problem at all. It's one of the most consistent complaints that I have whenever action movies start fucking shit up in a very public setting (the lack of police presence/response). Havoc is wreaked and all the culprits walk away (unless it's the end of the movie).

 

I know I was meant to be amused by Roman and Tej bickering over who was entitled to the hacker girl, but it just pissed me off. She's not a toy or a prize. You don't get to call 'dibs'. Most of Roman was a waste, IMO...I can only presume his function is comic relief...but I will admit to laughing at him asking if he could check his email after the hacker called up her insanely intricate tracking program.

 

I'd watch an 8th. The rumours that Helen Mirren wants in is just delicious. Vin got Judi Dench into one of his movies before, so this wouldn't be unheard of. And it would be epic awesomeness. She is kickass and hot as hell.

Edited April 29, 2015 by NoWillToResist

[JBC344]

Helen Mirren as Jason Statham and Luke Evans mother.  The big bad for number 8.  Her mission is revenge and to break Shaw out of prison.  Sign me up.  Or go the other way and have her be Kurt Russell's boss who takes an interest in the team and employees them for missions. 

[Bruinsfan]

Hell, have her be a third party spoiler, like a fictional contemporary of Shirley Muldowney, who zooms in and saves the day when all seems lost. Like Buster Crabbe's guest appearance on the Buck Rogers TV series.

[ketchuplover]

I think Brian from Family Guy should replace Paul Walker

[Traveller519]

With "See You Again" fairing so well on the charts and Radio Play. I am now, not-so-secretly hoping it wins the Oscar for Best Original Song, and Furious 7 actually does get an Oscar.