EPISODE 118 - Furious 7: LIVE

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

If they DO go all the way to make 10 Fast & Furious movies, I hope the last one is called "Fast Ten: Your Seatbelts".

Ironically, you wouldn't see a seatbelt in the entire movie!

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

If they DO go all the way to make 10 Fast & Furious movies, I hope the last one is called "Fast Ten: Your Seatbelts".

 

genius

[MikeFeehan 2]

I was compelled to make an account because I had A LOT to say about this movie. But I'm happy to see that other posters have already addressed Han Seoul-Oh's background, and the fact that he is Korean-American, not Japanese. I'm also glad to see the Lucas Black aging 10 years from one scene to another (but still playing a 17-year old) has been brought up.

 

Here are a few more things I need to talk about:

 

- Not only do Sung Kang and Gal Gadot's names appear in the opening titles for this movie, they appear before actors who are actually in this movie, namely Elsa Patakay, who is in multiple scenes.

 

- Upon my first viewing of this movie I thought James Wan had done a seamless job of reworking this movie after the death of Paul Walker, and while he should still be applauded for saving this film, during my third viewing it became much more apparent where changes were made. The Paul Walker dad/retirement story makes NO SENSE. He ALREADY has a kid, why is a second kid suddenly the final nail in the coffin? This storyline was clearly shoved in after Walkers death, and it becomes even more obvious during Walkers one-on-one scenes with Mia in the garage and Diesel on the plane. The other characters are doing all the talking at Walker is just saying "yeah" or lines that were clearly lifted from a pre-filmed conversation about something else. The HDTGM gang makes a good point about Hobb's daughter, which further proves this storyline is ridiculous. I'm very interested to know what the original script for this movie looked like - I hope there is a feature about this on the Blu-Ray.

 

- Regarding everything in these movie revolving around cars: What are the chances that the one-of-a-kind super hacker device, God's Eye, was mailed to a guy who decided to put it in A CAR?

 

- Hobbs gives Elena a letter of recommendation for being an awesome cop or whatever. Are we supposed to forget that she abandoned her duties and ran away to Spain to live with a wanted criminal for like a year? Not only is she not in jail, she's been given her job back, been allowed to immigrate to America, and is now getting a promotion. I get that the Rock thinks she's cool because Dom's gang is honourable or whatever, but how is the US Government cool with this?

 

- How was this not addressed????

 

[GloriaDrewArt 22]

with all the ambiguity surrounding her ability to remember the other movies, it is now my headcanon that June is the Michelle Rodrigez of the How Did This Get Furious group

[Entering the Bone Zone 81]

I may or may not be in the middle of watching all seven movies over the weekend.

 

Amazing idea. I have contemplated this marathon myself, but it seems awfully daunting.

 

How jarring is it to get from the original to Furious 7 in one weekend? In the original Brian O'Connor got guff from his superiors about the cost of replacing the souped up drag racing Honda Accords (or whatever) he was losing. In 7 the gang appears to have a nearly unlimited travel, car, and weapon/gadget budget courtesy of either The Rock's government group or Kurt Russell's government group. In the first half-ish of the series the gang is pursuing criminal activities of some kind or on the lam for them, but now they are directly in the employ of Uncle Sam and apparently are not responsible in any capacity for the collateral damage inflicted upon Rio, London, and now Los Angeles.

 

That said, Furious 7 is a movie comprised almost entirely of boss fights (Statham v Rock, Statham v Diesel, Walker v Jaa, Rodriguez v Rousey, most of the crew v Hounsou) and beautifully crafted if implausible set pieces in the Caucus Mountains, Abu Dhabi, and Los Angeles. There is very little exposition, and it is glorious.

 

My hope is that with 8 - do away with any naming conventions, switch to simply numbers, and force the world to reckon with the fact that this is the defining movie series of our time, perhaps all time - the scale is pulled back a bit. You can't get bigger and boss fightier than the masterpiece we got this year. Less is more, Vin.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I have a couple of additional observations on F7 that I don't think anyone has touched on yet.

 

When Dom and Mia are leaving the house just before it blows up she tells Dom that Brian "misses the bullets," but does anyone else recall what he told her before that? According to Mia, Brian tells her, "He doesn't miss the girls. He doesn't miss the cars..." Um...he "doesn't miss the girls?" Since the first movie, hasn't it always been Brian and Mia? I know they are separated for a time between the first and fourth movie, and since the chronology of these movies is a bit wonky it makes it hard to determine, but when was he ever just fucking around with the race car groupies? And even if during their estrangement he did stray, is that something you'd ever tell your significant other? "You know, honey--you'd think that the thing I miss most is all the indiscriminate sex I've had with the scantily clad, racer babes, but you'd be wrong. It's actually all the near death experiences, I miss the most. Although, sometimes they were one and the same, if you know what I'm saying! Oops, sounds like our son needs another bottle. I'll be right back..."

 

I would also guess that one of the "miss the bullets" scenes would have had to have been done after Walker's death (I'm thinking the bomb scene)*--since the second scene feels redundant to the first. If not, I guess it just further proves what a raging narcissist Dom is since--when he says it to Brian--he has this look on his face like, "I get it man. I'm so close to you, I know exactly how you're feeling." No dipshit, you're just parroting back what Mia told you word for word. Stop trying to get this guy to buy that you've got some mystical hotline to his soul.

 

The other moment that kind of bums me out is in Abu Dhabi just before their daring three skyscraper escape from Shaw. In this scene, they've driven the car through a wall into the party, Letty is laid out on the floor, and Roman rushes to help her. The elevator chimes, and who should walk out, but the inexorable Deckard Shaw who fires a couple of rounds into the ceiling for good measure. He tries to stop Dom, but even getting hit by a car isn't enough to slow him down. Pandemonium breaks loose. They're only means of escape is to launch the car out of a window. Shaw chases after them, but there's nothing he can do. Our heroes have escaped! Well, Dom and Brian have escaped, anyway; Letty and Roman, on the other hand...I guess they just escape through the ancient art of movie editing.

 

I mean, Shaw is after everyone that he blames for his brother's condition, not just Dom. And although it could be argued that Roman, and a severely injured, Letty (who just made a huge scene by being in a brutal fight with one of the bodyguards) were able to make their escape with the rest of the partygoers, but Dom can't possibly know that! He makes zero effort to rescue them or ensure their safety. For all he knows he just left a really good friend and his "lover" to the whims of a madman just so he could pull off a really sick stunt. What a prick!

 

*In all fairness, if one of these scenes was added after Walker's death, it is a credit to the filmakers that I can't tell which one it is.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

When Dom and Mia are leaving the house just before it blows up she tells Dom that Brian "misses the bullets," but does anyone else recall what he told her before that? According to Mia, Brian tells her, "He doesn't miss the girls. He doesn't miss the cars..." Um...he "doesn't miss the girls?" Since the first movie, hasn't it always been Brian and Mia? I know they are separated for a time between the first and fourth movie, and since the chronology of these movies is a bit wonky it makes it hard to determine, but when was he ever just fucking around with the race car groupies? And even if during their estrangement he did stray, is that something you'd ever tell your significant other? "You know, honey--you'd think that the thing I miss most is all the indiscriminate sex I've had with the scantily clad, racer babes, but you'd be wrong. It's actually all the near death experiences, I miss the most. Although, sometimes they were one and the same, if you know what I'm saying! Oops, sounds like our son needs another bottle. I'll be right back..."

You're right about everything but one minor point (that doesn't really affect your argument, but I feel compelled to correct anyway). Brian and Mia split up at the end of the first movie after Brian reveals he's a cop. They don't actually get back together until near the end of the fourth movie. During the second movie, he was trying to get with Evan Mendes for most of it.

 

But that's the only other woman we ever see him pursue. Otherwise, you're totally right, and it's been Mia. He ate shitty tuna sandwiches for months to try to hook up with her; I don't really buy that he was out chasing a bunch of racer chicks.

[Cameron H. 23786]

You're right about everything but one minor point (that doesn't really affect your argument, but I feel compelled to correct anyway). Brian and Mia split up at the end of the first movie after Brian reveals he's a cop. They don't actually get back together until near the end of the fourth movie. During the second movie, he was trying to get with Evan Mendes for most of it.

 

But that's the only other woman we ever see him pursue. Otherwise, you're totally right, and it's been Mia. He ate shitty tuna sandwiches for months to try to hook up with her; I don't really buy that he was out chasing a bunch of racer chicks.

 

Fair point. I re-watched 2 Fast about a month ago and I couldn't remember if he and Mendes had a thing or not. I read the plot summary on Wikipedia and I didn't see anything. I mean, if you can't go to Wikipedia to confirm whether or not two characters hook up in a movie then I think we need to just get rid of the whole damn thing.

 

Also:

 

[Rollo Tomasi 22]

This is a twist on Jason's idea that the whole franchise has been a delusion of Dom's at an insane asylum. You guys have talked a lot in this and the other Fast and Furious podcasts about all the times the characters should die if normal laws of physics applied. My idea for how the franchise should end is with the reveal that Dom in fact crashed during the opening hijack of The Fast and the Furious, and everything since then has just been a hallucination of how his life might have played out as life is leaving his body. You have to admit, that would make everything make sense (even the feverish jump forward in time to Tokyo Drift).

[jarrycanada 2483]

here is how I see Nicolas Cage in fast 8 or as I call it,

 

 

that's cages real ferrari enzo. money well spent.

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

fast 46

 

[Ramo85 0]

Ok so along with never losing a fight,vin diesel must have an only drove an American car unless absolute necessary otherwise in his contract. When they show up in Dubai, each in their own car mind you, everyone is driving a rather expensive exotic super car...except vin diesel. He is driving a Dodge Charger or Avenger I think? They couldn't even give him a Viper or SRT challenger? Is he that hardcore against imports?

[RyanSz 3140]

If they DO go all the way to make 10 Fast & Furious movies, I hope the last one is called "Fast Ten: Your Seatbelts".

I would give that great pun a rimshot, but that is so amazing that it deserves an equal drum response.

 

[JenniferGrünwald 66]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this (I'm slowly making my way through all the comments), but I think it's hilarious how much Lucas Black ages. They show the exact scene again from Tokyo Drift and then after he races Dom, they have their chat and he looks SO much older! I mean, I know he actually IS 9 years older, but it's just really funny to me. I like to imagine that that's what happens when you race Dom. It takes it's toll on you and and the more badass you are, the more youth you retain.

 

That being said, I actually wanted him to join the crew. Or even in the next one. I know someone else commented that they were afraid that would happen but I'd love it. I actually watched all 7 of these movies in the last few weeks for the first time, so they're all really fresh in my mind and I want them to connect even further.

[JenniferGrünwald 66]

Oh shit! Those statue pics are from San Diego Comicon that year! I remember seeing them! Ahhh memories, it's been so long since I've been to SDCC. It's too expensive now. Bleh.

 

For the Omissions segment...

 

In the jumping through 3 buildings in a car scene, inside the 3rd building there is a makeshit museum or gallery of some sort with some statues that they crash and destroy before jumping out.

 

 

Those statues remind me a lot of the statue army from the 3rd "The Mummy" film...

 

 

 

Another "fun" fact is that the director from the first Fasts Rob Cohen is the director of The Mummy 3 and Universal owns both the Fasts and Mummy franchises... Could this also be an F.U. to Rob Cohen? Or maybe a wink / reference / same universe / obscure fact / statues gathering dust and occupying space in the universal studio lot? He also directed "Stealth" so...

 

*Ps.: Oh wait a second... After listening to the episode this must mean that Universal movies DO exist in the same universe so years after The mummy movies the events of the "Fasts" movies take place... NAILED IT!

[JenniferGrünwald 66]

If they DO go all the way to make 10 Fast & Furious movies, I hope the last one is called "Fast Ten: Your Seatbelts".

 

OMG I love you. hahahaha

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I know someone else commented that they were afraid that would happen but I'd love it.

That was probably me. As long as he didn't talk, I guess it would be okay. He can stand there slackjawed with Vin Diesel the whole time. But when he opens his mouth, he's so annoying. He's half the reason Tokyo Drift is so hard for me to get through.

[JenniferGrünwald 66]

That was probably me. As long as he didn't talk, I guess it would be okay. He can stand there slackjawed with Vin Diesel the whole time. But when he opens his mouth, he's so annoying. He's half the reason Tokyo Drift is so hard for me to get through.

 

Yeah I can totally understand that, but I guess it's grown on me a bit.

 

Slightly related, I laughed that the kid from Home Improvement was in Tokyo Drift. haha

[JenniferGrünwald 66]

Side note: that wasn't enough Jason Statham for me. I am now watching Crank for the first time. I cannot believe I never saw this before. This shit is so awesome.

[TimLowell 0]

The tag line or possibly the title of the 10th film will be:

 

FasTen Your Seatbelts!

 

You are welcome.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

The tag line or possibly the title of the 10th film will be:

 

FasTen Your Seatbelts!

 

You are welcome.

Dude...

[Enteril 1]

Great episode overall, but one extremely sticking point that shouldn't have been confusing after seeing the other movies. Han is almost certainly American, and is DEFINITELY not Japanese. There are constant meta jokes throughout 4-6 about how he's never been to Tokyo and has always wanted to go there, which is why (beyond him being alive) everyone knew Tokyo Drift occurred last in the chronology even before it was obvious they were going to unite them all. Even if you hadn't seen 4-6, it should have been apparent that his home was in LA because people that were clearly supposed to be his family were there. The entire segment joking about stealing his body had odd, unintended racial consequences because of this oversight.

[Sievers 233]

Side note: that wasn't enough Jason Statham for me. I am now watching Crank for the first time. I cannot believe I never saw this before. This shit is so awesome.

 

I watched it the other night for the first time in about 7yrs, it holds up really well. Make sure you watch the second one ASAP, it almost makes Crank seem like it took itself too seriously.

[AlexisBoursier 0]

Why did they feel the need to crop in that scene of dialogue from Tokyo Drift, and intercut it with actors who are clearly a decade older.? This is a 190 million dollar film. We don't bring Lucas Black into the film, so this scene only serves to clear up the timeline. It's bizarre. Shoot new footage? Just pull in a couple of shots? Completely ignore this completely unrelated character? This seems the ONLY wrong way to do this. But then the movie kept being awesome, still I was waiting for June to kvetch about this.

[JayDrive 2]

Hi all, long time listener - finally caught up with the podcast (now sad I've heard them all!)

 

Not sure if already brought up, only looked back through about half the replies.

 

Why did that guy even sell the speed chip, was it some sort of special chip... couldnt he have used another one that a friend hadn't given him for safekeeping. Why couldn't he just contact the billionaire and be all "so um that chip has been recalled I'll come replace it with a new one".

 

Also the warehouse fight bugged me, you know thats where Deckard is, why the hell would you take the god's eye to that location, you dont need to track him any more! That guy is using it like a video game minimap. If you really wanted to make sure he didnt leave - leave the gods eye with Ramsey back at HQ and have her talk to the team via earpieces.

After all that effort to retrieve God's eye, now it's lost... and Kurt Russel seems to not give a shit at all, "welp I'm outta here with Socom, good luck Dom see ya thanks for getting me God's eye for the afternoon"

 

Of course I know these are all just movie logic to keep the plot going or make an interesting set piece, but just stood out to me. Loved this movie, I loved all 7 tbh, even 2-3! I have a high tolerance though.. saw Pixels on fathers day (au) and didnt think it deserved all the hate - but it could be a future candidate for hdtgm!