The opening weekend for the movie “Fast and Furious 7” was a huge hit, mostly because of the late Paul Walker, and less because of the franchise’s typical approach.
“Furious 7” was released in theaters on April 3 after a long wait from fans, and a massive amount of speculation.
With the original release date of summer 2014 being pushed back almost a full year because of the tragic death of lead actor Walker, many people were itching to see how the film had turned out.
Walker was killed in a car accident in November 2013 before completing all of his scenes for the upcoming movie.
This left fans of the franchise very confused for the movie’s future.
According to “Tech Times,” CGI created by Weta Digital Studio, who also did special effects for “Lord of the Rings,” was used to recreate Walker’s face.
Walker’s brothers, Caleb and Cody, were used as body doubles for the remaining scenes.
Although most people heard there would be a CGI version of Walker, people still wondered what would happen to the beloved Brian O’Conner character in the movie.
Many speculated that his character would be killed, so that there could be an explanation for his not being in possible upcoming movies.
What they really did for the O’Conner character, though, was probably the best part of the entire movie.
The last 10 or so minutes are a full tribute to Walker.
Tissues are definitely recommended.
It is clear that the franchise is losing a beloved character and real-life friend, even though it is not said explicitly in the movie.
Dani Shavirov, 19, a business major at Bucks thought that the way the franchise said goodbye was perfect.
“I went to the movie expecting Paul Walker to be killed off, but instead seeing him and Vin Diesel drive off separately was a better way to do it, I think. It was more peaceful, and classy,” Shavirov said.
The movie includes a short, and yes, tear-jerking montage of the interactions between the two lead actors, Vin Diesel and Walker, over the last 15 years of the franchise, and an indication that Walker had been lost.
Shavirov also mentions that this “reflected not just how he died, but who he actually was, and you could really see Vin and Paul’s actual friendship.”
Jen Diaz, a former student at Bucks and “Furious” fan, said that she liked the way everything played out with Walker’s character, and thought that the CGI was done the right way, even though at the end the viewer could tell that it wasn’t actually Walker.
“They made him look lighter, like it seems like they played with the lighting so that you knew what they were insinuating about his death in real life, but it worked perfectly with the story line of the movie,” Diaz said.
Some people have been comparing the CGI to the real Walker scenes, complaining that they are totally different looking, but a lot of people only use the ending scene as an example.
Diaz believes that it was meant to be this way, and, either way, it was a nice tribute to Walker.
Most people who have seen the movie will agree that this is what makes the entire movie worth watching.
There are definitely fast cars and attractive women, because this is, in fact, a “Fast and Furious” film.
There are over-the-top cars and lots of destruction throughout a major city, as per usual. There is an evil character that “is always popping up in crazy places,” said Daulton Brady, 20, a criminal justice major.
If you are a fan of the fast cars and completely impossible stunts, you might want to see this movie, because it of course follows the usual “Furious” protocol.
But if you are curious about Walker and want to see the perfect farewell tribute, you need to see this movie.