Furious 7

And now cars and racing number seven...

We already know that The Fast and the Furious films have cars that are fast and furious. Maybe we should wonder why its titles are inconsistent. I already reviewed Fast Five and Fast and Furious 6, so now we have Furious 7. It's all over the place.

Moving on...

This time, former illegal street racer and thief Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his motley crew finally get to enjoy retired life. But Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), elder brother of the last movie's big bad, shows up. Shaw kills Han (Sung Kang), one of the motley crew, in Tokyo and blows up Dom's house. Dom decides to get Shaw.

Agent Frank Petty (Kurt Russell) decides to help Dom and his crew out. He'll help them get Shaw if they get the "God's Eye," a super-duper surveillance program that Shaw really wants. The crew eagerly accepts the mission. And that's pretty much it for overall plot.

James Wan, creator of the Saw films, takes over for Justin Lin as director. He continues the franchise's proud tradition of insane car chases and stunts. Dom and his crew burn all sorts of rubber and jump from many heights on their mission. It all leads to a final battle across Los Angeles. 

The biggest complaint I have is the length. It's 137 minutes long, which makes it the longest of these movies. Its many action scenes go on so long it felt like the movie was longer than 137 minutes. It's one of those movies where important plot points, including secondary villain Mose Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), get lost in the action.

It not only has ridiculous stunts but ridiculous people. Deckard Shaw introduces himself by beating up the staff of a hospital - and blowing it up. Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is hospitalized for most of the movie but ignores his injuries to join the final battle. And Agent Petty's always crazy prepared. As for the motley crew, they may be ridiculous, but their comradeship is genuine. That's what makes them good protagonists as always.

Who knows if this is the last of these movies. It seems like it, but they're also saying it might not be. But if it is, it ends with a resonant tribute to long time star Paul Walker, who died during production. And that sends this movie off on a high note. 

And away I go...

Home (for real this time.)

A year after Dreamworks set-up the story for its latest feature, Home, it's finally arrived. Not even getting its Thanksgiving 2014 spot stolen by those Penguins of Madagascar could dull its impact. Your mileage may vary if its impact is positive or not.

The film opens up with the Earth invaded by the Boov, a race of cowardly idiots. They suck up all of humanity and relocate them to Australia. Meanwhile, the Boov mooch off of Earth's abandoned cities. They picked our planet to escape from the destructive Gorg.

One Boov is Oh (Jim Parsons), named such "by [his] many, many friends." But Oh is such is a screw-up that the other Boov dislike him immensely. Nevertheless, Oh decides to invite everyone to his house-warming party. But Oh overdoes it and invites everyone in the whole galaxy; Gorg included.

Now a wanted Boov, Oh makes a run to Antarctica, the closest Boov-less spot on Earth. Along the way, he meets the last un-relocated human on Earth, Gratuity "Tip" Tucci (Rihanna) and her cat, Pig. She wants to get to Paris, the Boov headquarters, so she can find where they relocated her mother, Lucy (Jennifer Lopez). Oh, an alien whose culture prides itself in cowardice, tags along.

Meanwhile, Captain Smek (Steve Martin) of the Boov has to find a way to keep the Gorg from knowing where his race is. Or else boom.

Adam Rex's novel The True Meaning of Smekday was the basis for the film. As visualized by director Tim Johnson and staff, the film is a colorful 3D adventure. The Boov are cuddly creatures ready for merchandising. Their technology is unique and inventive. The scenery is just great. Nothing to complain about in the visual department.

Now for the film's characters. Oh is an idiot whose depth of cowardice is often grating. But he gets better near the end once he discovers the Gorg's secret. Tip, his opposite, is strong-willed and resourceful. Pig is a fun, silent comic relief. Their resolution was the best part of their trip.

Home isn't the best film of the year, but it's pretty fine for what it is. It should keep the animated niche filled for now. The next big animated film out is Inside Out, one of two this year from Pixar. Stay tuned for that.