Furious 7

Although it takes a little time for this 7th entry to get started, once it does, it amounts to nothing less than awe-inspiring, vehicular warfare on a mass scale. Cars parachuting out of planes, crashing through Abu Dahbi palaces and evading drones on LA streets, all executed with the same tongue and cheek ridiculousness that has characterized the franchise thus far. Newcomers Kurt Russell, Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey help up the ante a bit, as well as Djimon Hounsou and Jason Statham as the villains. James Wan's frenetic directorial style serves this entry well and as a result of star Paul Walker's tragic passing, the film even manages to connect with viewers on a real emotional level, one that would have seemed impossible given the hammy roots of the Furious saga. Yet when Walker makes his exit, after a touching tribute, you actually feel something. Although the gargantuan business this film is sure to do will probably make this unlikely, I think this is a good place for this series to call it a day. Short of driving cars in space, it would be literally impossible to top the set pieces on display here and frankly, what made Fast 5 the best of the bunch wasn't really how outlandish the stunts were, but how genuine and non-CG everything looked. Yet even with all that, the real reason this should be the Fast and Furious swan song is because it just won't be as much fun without Paul Walker.