Furious 7 (titled onscreen as Fast & Furious 7) is a 2015 American action thriller film that was directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. A sequel to 2013’s Fast & Furious 6, it is the seventh installment in the Fast & Furious film franchise and stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russel, and Jason Statham. Furious 7 follows Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and the rest of their team, who have returned to the United States to live normal lives after securing amnesty for their past crimes in Fast & Furious 6, until Deckard Shaw, a rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother Owen Shaw, puts the team in danger once again.

With the previous three installments set between 2 Fast 2 Furious and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Furious 7 is the first installment in the franchise to take place after Tokyo Drift. The film also marks the final film appearance of Walker, who died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013, with filming only half-completed. Following Walker’s death, filming was delayed for script rewrites and his brothers, Caleb and Cody, were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes. These script rewrites completed the story arc for Walker’s character, which was subsequently retired.

Plans for a seventh installment were first announced in February 2012 when Johnson stated that production on the film would begin after the completion of Fast & Furious 6. In April 2013, Wan, predominantly known for horror films (including the Saw and Insidious franchises), was announced to direct the film in place of Justin Lin, who left the franchise after directing the previous four installments. Casting began in the same month with the returns of Diesel and Walker and an initial release date was set. Principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia, in September 2013, resumed in April 2014 and ended in July 2014, with other filming locations including Los Angeles, Colorado, Abu Dhabi, and Tokyo.

Furious 7 premiered in Los Angeles on April 1, 2015, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 3, 2015, playing in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX internationally. Upon release, the film became a critical and financial success, with praise being aimed at the film’s action sequences and its emotional tribute to Walker. It grossed $397.6 million worldwide during its opening weekend, which was the second highest of all-time. The film grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise after just twelve days, the third highest-grossing film of 2015, and the eighth highest-grossing film of all time.

A sequel, The Fate of the Furious, was released on April 14, 2017.

The Film Itself (4.5/5):

Furious 7 came out at a time that the fans of the franchise were still feeling the death of Walker. That said, this movie really did him as a person, and his character a significant amount of justice. The story overall is a thrilling ride, and there’s a ton of action to keep everyone on the edges of their seat, and a really heartfelt tribute to the late Paul Walker. As you watch, you gain an even deeper appreciation for the relationships each character has with each other, and ultimately, I would agree that this film was one of the most fulfilling mainstream movies of that year (2015).

Picture Quality (5/5):

Moving onward with Furious 7, the folks that worked on this release at Universal really did a great job at topping their previously released, and really solid, Blu-ray Disc. With some of the more deep colors continuing to be noticeable, the clarity really offers a fresh look at this movie. The finer details, ranging from the fibers to the clothing to the more meticulous facial features are more prominent, and allows for a more accurate representation of the emotions the characters are conveying. Absolutely solid release that boasts a great use of HDR, making it one that I’d definitely recommend for showcasing your 4K setup.

Audio Quality (4/5):

I’ve seen that Furious 7 has received a lot of negative push-back from reviewers when it comes to the audio track. I personally didn’t think it was all that bad as everything was clean and clear and easy to understand. There really weren’t any moments that stood out more than others, but I guess I need to educate myself a little more in terms of audio quality because it was fine. Sure, it’s not much of an upgrade, if even at all, but it doesn’t discredit the fact that it was clean.

The Packaging (4/5):

The 4K UHD release of Furious 7 comes packaged in the standard two-disc amaray case.  In that case is the standard 4K UHD copy of the movie, the standard Blu-ray copy as well as a digital copy redemption pamphlet.  There is a slipcover that was made available during the first pressing of the release that features the same artwork that’s made available on the case.  Unfortunately, my copy did not come with a slipcover when I purchased it.

Special Features (3/5):

The 4K UHD release of Furious 7 comes with absolutely no special features on the UHD. All supplemental content is made available on the included Blu-ray copy of the film. Included with this release is:

• Deleted Scenes
• Talking Fast
• Back to the Starting Line
• Flying Cars
• Snatch and Grab
• Tower Jumps
• Inside the Fight
• The Cars of Furious
• Race Wars
• Music Video
• Making of Fast & Furious Supercharged Ride

Technical Specs:

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p)

HDR: HDR10

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: DTS:X

English: DTS-HD HR 7.1

English: DTS Headphone:X

Spanish: DTS 5.1

French (Canada): DTS 5.1

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish

Runtime

Original Film: 140 Minutes

Final Thoughts:

Overall, Furious 7 isn’t bad. It’s got your expected stunts and action sequences, and we see a little bit more of The Rock’s character. While it isn’t my favorite of the bunch, I felt it was a decent watch and worthy of the pickup. If you’re looking to add Furious 7 to your collection, I’d recommend it. It is available on 4K UHD today.