Dei ex machine

The US-Japanese joint production, which has already grown into a full-fledged theatrical series, would not deserve a cursory mention in the respectable press, had it not been for one circumstance. Not only this much-touted criminal action hits movies on the eve of the Easter, but it also mentions God’s name in vain. In this light, that another junk food for overexcited minds prompts many interesting conclusions.

Furious 7, directed by James Wan, is no different from previous installments about the “superheroes,” which are able to fight any evil. A cohesive team of racers would have already eradicated all of it, but they were born too late, and there is too much evil in the world accumulated over time. That’s why, in order to fight evil they live on and across the edge (“afterburner,” the name under which the series is marketed in Ukraine, is explained in dictio­naries as “the engine overload, which leads to its rapid deterioration”).

This time, to defeat the bad guys (wearing out their own body in the process), the good ones needed the “Eye of God.” This is the name of a hacking program, which is able to track any person at any spot in the world – as we are all unable to live a minute without cell phones, computers, and other gadgets that enable such total surveillance. To seize the perpetrator (it was a charming Amazon this time) the brave team hits the world and wrecks cars, helicopters, and skyscrapers, not to mention the bodies of their enemies. To keep the viewer fascinated by the endless chases, shootings, and fights, the good guys are sent out from an American city to a tro­pical paradise, to Caucasian mountains, to the Arabian Desert, etc. In general, it is obvious how hard the filmmakers worked in order for us not to be bored – as well as to envy the heroes. And there is much to be envied about, because the characters of this block­buster look like humans, but what they are able to do amounts to celestial beings. And this is the only reason one may watch this piece of rubbish – merely to know the cherished dream of the modern humanity, which raves across the history about living the lives of gods and having the gods’ heavenly pleasures.

And what this dream is about, if we are to make conclusions based upon the heroes of Furious 7? First of all, a human must have a perfect, beautiful body. Men’s perfect bodies are steel muscles and women’s are enticing shapes and proportions. And in the film there are plenty of both, the former and the latter! The second thing a beautiful attractive body must possess is a mind with a good deal of intelligence and diverse talents. Third, the perfect bodies are impervious to fire, water, bullets, and crowbar hits. The perfect bodies are able to fly – even in automobiles. And thanks to the “Eye of God,” man becomes omniscient… There are many divine features that can extend this list further, but let’s be satisfied with the last one, which crowns their perfection: the perfect human is completely fearless…