( CNN ) The seventh installment of the `` Fast and Furious '' franchise , '' `` Furious 7 '' is sure to draw fans curious about how the film handles the real-life death of co-star Paul Walker . But minus the off-screen tragedy , is `` Furious 7 '' worth racing to the theater ? Here 's what the critics are saying : . Peter Travers , Rolling Stone : `` 'Furious 7 ' is the best F & F by far , two hours of pure pow fueled by dedication and passionate heart . This one sticks with you . The usual flaws -- plot bumps , muscle acting , tweet-length dialogue -- fade in the face of the camaraderie on and off screen . Finishing the film in Walker 's honor clearly brought out the best in everyone . It 's bittersweet seeing Walker in action again . But it 's also a kick to watch him take the wheel or hang off a bus in Azerbaijan that happens to be hanging off a cliff . He feels at home . '' Chris Nashawaty , Entertainment Weekly : `` No one forks over 10 bucks to see one of these flicks for its logic . We go for the bananas demolition-derby mayhem . 'Furious 7 ' delivers that with the direct visceral rush of an EpiPen . For two hours and change , we 're treated to a high-octane orgy of some of the most exhilarating stunts ever put on film , including one showstopper where Walker balances on an overturned bus that 's teetering on the edge of a cliff . '' Chris Ziegler , The Verge : `` It 's entirely possible , of course , that my fandom has simply blinded me to 'Furious 7 's ' greatness . The action sequences -- particularly Abu Dhabi , with the supercar leaping between buildings -- are legitimately phenomenal , and the scenes filmed after Walker 's passing , in which his brothers stepped in for him , were never distracting or even noticeable without looking closely . Maybe I 'm missing something . '' A.O . Scott , New York Times : `` The final moments , when Mr. Walker 's longtime colleagues say their farewells while he still appears to be on screen with them , are both awkward and moving . They remind you what these movies have always been about , underneath all the noise and the bravado : the ferocity of friendship and the terrible speed of loss . '' Betsy Sharkey , Los Angeles Times : `` The action sequences -- from hand-to-hand combat to the crash and burn of cars -- are , as we 've come to expect , not grounded in reality . The parkour-influenced high-rise stunts that everyone will be talking about are particularly affecting because a ) they feature the multimillion-dollar eye-candy of a jewel-encrusted limited-edition Lykan Hypersport and b ) they are amazing . All of the driving and skydiving fall into the never-try-this-at-home zone . '' Richard Lawson , Vanity Fair : `` The latest film , which opens Friday , ca n't help but take on some deeper meaning , as the death of main cast member Paul Walker , killed in a car accident in late 2013 , looms large throughout . But it does n't overwhelm -- Furious 7 is respectful , even solemn , when it needs to be , but is still , thank God , plenty of crazy fun . ''
The film is out in theaters today . Co-star Betsy Sharkey died during production . Critics say `` Furious 7 '' is bittersweet and `` plenty of crazy fun ''