It speaks volumes that director James Wan’s “Furious 7” stays — by a substantial margin — the largest hit the sequence has ever produced, taking in $1.51 billion en path to turning into one of many highest-grossing films of all time. While the movies which have adopted, “The Fate of the Furious” and “F9,” have additionally been sizable hits, they pale compared to that highest of highs reached in 2015. Audiences proved they related with Walker and his efficiency as Brian O’Connor, they usually needed to say goodbye.
For as a lot as director F. Gary Gray and Justin Lin, respectively, tried to maintain the sequence going with out Walker, with all kinds of insane motion sequences and wild twists, Brian has been sorely missed. It was by no means fairly as evident earlier than, however Dominic Toretto wants a counterbalance. Yes, Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty has completely been there to fill that void, with the sequence leaning into the household of all of it on that entrance. But what Dom wants is his brother; he wants Brian.
Tyrese Gibson has his charms as Roman, and Sung Kang’s Han has been very welcome since returning to the franchise. But there was a yin and yang relationship that made these films what they had been for the overwhelming majority of their existence. Walker’s Brian was the yin to Diesel’s Dom. Does Bill work with out Ted? What about Robin Hood with out Little John? Try to think about Bodhi with out Johnny Utah (maybe essentially the most apt comparability on condition that the unique “Fast and the Furious” is kind of a remake of “Point Break”). That’s what we misplaced. That’s what’s been lacking — the center of all of it.