OMD's Pop-culture corner: Furious 7

This week sees the release of the seventh installment in the Fast and Furious series. With the last four directed by the fantastic Justin Lin, who completely redefined the series and turned it into the money-making cash cow that it is, Furious 7 marks the first time in over a decade that someone else--James Wan of Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring fame--will helm one of the films, leading some to wonder how the franchise will do in his absence. Lin found a way to ground the characters in reality a bit (emotionally, at least) more while upping the ante on action set pieces more and more with each subsequent film. Lin's recipe made each of his entries must-see events in the theater, especially after Tokyo Drift proved to stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker that the series had the legs it needed to get them both back in the fold.

Some people bristle at the notion that these flicks are worthy film-going endeavors. It's cool to be wrong. If you missed Fast Five in the theaters specifically, you missed one of the most exhilarating theatrical experiences in recent memory. Since Fast Five changed the game, it's entirely possible that the bloat of the action sequences is working against the series. Furious 7 may make no sense at all, but apparently the ending is leaving no dry eye in the theater, which is astonishing in and of itself, and the placement of the release of this film on Easter weekend is a stroke of genius, as Paul Walker gets to rise from the dead to rule us all.

You may as well see the early front-runner for Best Picture before all your friends do. Get out to the theater and enjoy the absurdly fun ride.