The Fast & Furious series is unique in the cinematic landscape. From humble beginnings as a run-of-the mill summer blockbuster about street racing, the franchise has transformed and evolved to incorporate complex intersecting timelines following a plethora of characters in a hyper-real world of souped-up cars and spectacular auto-driven heists.

The improbability of the stunts isn’t even an issue anymore; the series has long ago eschewed the laws of physics for the principles of fun and good times. ‘Ignore the fragility of the human form!’ it exclaims merrily – ‘and watch our hero leap from the edge of a falling bus, onto the spoiler of a drifting sports car!’

Apart from being a consistently entertaining action franchise, Furious 7 also continues the tradition of being a mainstay of diversity in a persistently homogeneous Hollywood landscape. The film represents Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans more prominently than its white characters, and revels in the melting pot of global culture.

Furious 7 is also the last time Paul Walker will grace our screens. On break during the shoot for this film, Walker was killed in a tragic car accident. The film was put on hold for script rewrites, and his brothers stood in for him. The film serves as a fitting tribute to Walker; his charisma, his friendships, his passions. His character is treated respectfully, in a way that reflects not the tragic irony of his death, but the closeness he shared with his co-stars; the exuberance and joy of a life too soon taken.

At its core, that’s what the franchise is about: family.

Seventh Son has had a hard time making its way into theatres. The film is based loosely on the 2004 young adult fantasy novel, “The Spook’s Apprentice”, and was originally conceived and shot in 2012. When Rhythm and Hues, the visual effects company working on it, went under, Legendary Pictures fronted a further $5 million to finish the film. Legendary then parted with Warner Bros., who were originally to distribute. Finally, after a deal was struck with Universal, Seventh Son hit the silver screen in 2015.

The film adheres to a more tried and true arc than its literary counterpart, following the journey of our hero Tom Ward. Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son; thus he is able to see supernatural creatures. John Gregory, also called The Spook, takes on Tom as an apprentice, teaching him to fight the forces of darkness and protect humanity from all manner of supernatural monsters.

Those monsters come in all sorts of creative shapes and sizes. The film is a dazzling smorgasbord of slick creature design and effects work. From Virahadra, a vicious-four-armed swordsman, to the gigantic lumbering Boggart beasts – this fantasy world is brimming with amazing imagery and imaginative renderings.

Jeff Bridges is central to the film as The Spook, and he seems to be enjoying playing up the old wizened mentor role, with a wry tone of dry wit.

Seventh Son is a fun romp with all the swords and sorcery you’d expect from the genre.