There are plenty of tweens who can’t wait to see the latest high-octane installment of the the Fast and the Furious franchise. But should they? Read on … Here’s a rundown on the violence, sexual content and language you can expect.
The MPAA has stamped the film with a PG-13 rating, and one might also say, “This is the seventh installment; you should be able to get a good sense of things by now, yeah?” And to him, we say, Furious 7 may be the umpteenth film in a mayhem-driven franchise, but it’s the first directed by James Wan, famous for his R-rated contributions to the horror genre, Saw, The Conjuring; the list goes on. So let’s dive in.
Right outta the gate, the characters head to a drag-racing lot where countless females’ bare midriffs and barely covered bottoms litter the screen -- think spring break at Daytona. In all honesty, the amount of skin has nothing on a Michael Bay production (and those are based on little boys’ toys). There is some kissing and touchy-feely embracing, but aside from that, there’s hardly a suggestive fleshy tidbit in sight, except for a bare bottom later (but it’s not sexual in nature).
As for the violence, Furious 7 is technically a revenge flick ... So, yes, there is violence. Violence bookended with violence. Expect endless scenes of deftly choreographed hand/foot-to head/groin combat, things that go boom, rapid gunfire – but nothing gets too graphic. There’s not a lot of blood, no close-up kill shots – Wan’s camera cuts away before anything becomes something that can’t be unseen. In fact, perhaps the most disturbing act of violence, considering the circumstances, comes at the beginning of the film (and can be seen in the film’s trailer): A bomb goes off with an expecting mother and her young son within the reach of damage.
The film is not without it’s three- and four-letter profanities. But they are kept at a minimum and pretty much belong only to Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson’s character and are doled out with bits of humor – aside from one instance when his character’s daughter throws a bit of sass into the convo (again humorously). We didn’t catch an F-bomb (unless you count the F-Bomb Camaro). Although, these days we’re all so desensitized one could have slipped by. A PG-13 rating does, after all, allow one for one to be strategically placed.
All of that said, here’s what you won’t mind: themes of loyalty and family. Most of the cast have worked together since 2001 or so on this franchise, so you get a sense they’re friends in real life, making for good on-screen chemistry. Couple that with an incredibly loyal fan following, and you can count on intermittent eruptions of applause. The audience’s reaction and appreciation for the late Paul Walker is a heartwarming touch, too.
More than anything Furious 7 is an adrenaline rush fueled by inventive car chases (some of which may cause you and your tween’s blood pressure to rise; a rousing game of muscle-car chicken comes to mind) and innovative -- read: insane -- stunts. You’re probably familiar with, or have at least heard about, the car skydiving scene by now. Fun fact: Don’t be fooled – there was no CGI used – trained skydivers actually pushed vehicles out of an in-flight plane and filmed them as they parachuted to Earth. You don’t see that every day.
So, green light? Or red light? You make the call.
Furious 7 rolls into theaters April 3. Find showtimes here.
DeAnna Janes is the former Entertainment Editor of DailyCandy and lives in New York City with her husband and two cats -- who still watch Frozen on a loop (yes, the cats). She has been published on a variety of entertainment sites. When she's not screening a film or writing about one, she's running to a film's soundtrack.
