Furious 7

With all of the switching and rearranging of the words “fast” and “furious” with various numbers in the titles, only the most ardent gearhead fans of the big-budget Fast and the Furious franchise can keep track of which one is which at this point.

It’s not that critical, since the basic idea has always been to showcase souped-up cars and elaborate stunts in a high-octane package, focused more on pumping the senses full of adrenaline than promoting intellectual stimulation. That’s something that the latest installment, Furious 7, has in common with its half-dozen predecessors during the past 14 years.

In other words, the characters with two legs always have taken a backseat to the characters with four wheels, as dictated by the wishes of series aficionados. Yet the new film encountered a roadblock when actor Paul Walker — who has been in the franchise since the beginning — died tragically during an off-set car crash in the middle of production.

So there’s a tribute of sorts to Walker in this film as his character bids a tearful farewell. Such an effort is heartfelt if hypocritical, and it comes with an eerie reminder that the recklessness that the franchise has glorified for years might have contributed to his death.

At any rate, the story that bridges all the mayhem involves plenty of exotic cars and exotic locales. The villain is Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) who vows revenge for his brother’s death against a charismatic crew led by Dominic (Vin Diesel), Brian (Walker) and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). Combine that with a terrorist subplot, and plenty of macho posturing and perilous globetrotting ensues.

Furious 7 is confidently directed by James Wan (Insidious), who transitions from the horror genre by staging a handful of dazzling action set pieces and impressive stunts that will delight fans, even if they don’t make much narrative sense or contain much subtlety or surprise. The screenplay by series veteran Chris Morgan features an over-the-top story that becomes too long and convoluted, spiced up only by the inclusion of some amusing one-liners for the ensemble cast to deliver.

There seems to be an effort here to steer the franchise in a new direction to further its already impressive longevity. Yet perhaps the filmmakers should have stuck to the older model, which tends to need less maintenance and guzzle less gas.

Rated PG-13, 137 minutes.