Furious 7 could have easily been a disaster after the unexpected death of Paul Walker, who played the role of Brian O’Connor throughout the Fast and Furious franchise, with three months of filming left to go. However, the cast, crew, and Walker’s brothers came together as a family to not only finish this movie, but also make it an incredible and heart-warming tribute to Walker and what could very well be the best movie in the franchise.
Walker tragically died at age 40 in a high-speed car crash while riding in a Porsche Carrera GT in California in 2013 — a fate that could have been very real for Brian. Only half of his scenes were finished at the time, leaving the franchise with the tough decision of whether or not to finish out the movie. Walker’s brothers, Caleb and Cody, joined the cast to fill in for the scenes that digital grafting alone could not cover. His brothers were able to act as body doubles with the use of particular lighting and certain camera angles, which together made a spitting image of the late Paul Walker.
As leading character Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) said, “This time it ain’t just about being fast.” This film is still filled with insane high-speed car chases, muscle cars, fight scenes and incredible effects, but it is also filled with an extraordinary amount of heart, passion, dedication and energy. It’s very obvious that the actors came together as a family in the same manner that their characters appear to do on-screen to finish this movie for their on- and off-screen brother, Paul. This is part of what makes this movie more unique to the franchise and also opens it up to a different or even larger target audience.
The visual effects not only used to recreate Walker but also used to create the “fast and furious” world are what also make this movie, considerably, the best in the franchise. Only in the “fast and furious” world can someone successfully drive a car through multiple skyscrapers and survive, which is part of what makes Furious 7 incredible. This movie was truly made for the big screen. The viewer can really feel a part of the movie through the use of these visual effects and intense camera angles and shots, and dramatic choices of music. For a couple of hours, there is an escape from the real world because this movie creates the potential to get lost in it and truly feel a part of it.
In this tribute to Walker, the filmmakers gave Brian the happy ending that allowed him to leave the franchise gracefully and heroically. “Things are going to be different now.” It’s hard to keep away the tears as Dom and Brian go their separate ways in the final scene with Wiz Khalifa’s See You Again playing in the background. There was no better way to pay tribute to Walker than this movie—and for the fans, we have to remember that “it’s never good-bye.”
