Audiences hit theaters April 3 to see “Fast and Furious 7” not only for the action of fast cars, but also mainly to see the last film Paul Walker was featured in before his death in a car accident in late 2013. This movie also debuted as the best opening weekend for the Fast and Furious franchise.

This movie made me move to the edge of my seat, laugh, smile and bawl like a baby. So, new fans will be able to understand this movie without watching the others! I enjoyed the film so much that I want to watch the rest of them as well. The movie reiterates the importance of family, which further drew me in.

Although the movie is full of thrills and action, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room. Knowing that Paul Walker isn’t with us anymore just makes it even more emotional. Because of this, the audience hones in on his character. Since Paul filmed some scenes of the movie already, the producers and directors did an amazing job at finishing the tribute at the end, which didn’t leave a dry eye in the theater. They showed clips of Paul from the beginning of the series over a monologue by Vin Diesel talking about family and brotherhood. They gave Paul the proper, respected send-off he deserved.

The movie starts off in London, where Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is avenging his younger brother, Owen Shaw (Lucas Evans) who has been in a coma since the last movie. Deckard is out for Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew, who are all trying to assume a semblance of normalcy. Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and his wife Mia Torretto (Jordana Brewster) are busy tackling preschool and a minivan, which is quite ironic and significant knowing that this is a franchise about crazy and fast cars. The beginning of the movie gives you a run-down of what happened previously, which helps newcomers understand it better.

Deckard Shaw causes destruction, lots of it, which lands Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) in the hospital and quickly threatens the rest of the crew. In order for them to find him, they need the help of a “Mr. Nobody” (Kurt Russell), who asks them them to locate Ramsey, a hacker who created a computer program called God’s Eye. They travel across the globe in hopes of defeating Shaw and retrieving the program.

If you love stunts and action, this movie is sure to exceed any expectations you have. The action varies from cars rolling backward out of a plane into a mountain with a parachute to cars flying through actual buildings to full street fights. But whether you like this thrill or not, the movie is filled with an array of characters, which include the very comedic Tej (Ludacris), Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and the butt-kicking Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). The entire cast works so well together that it just completes the film.

Furious 7 is worth the ride whether you’ve watched the series or not. It delivers a well-respected memorial for Paul Walker. As a new fan, I cannot wait to start from the beginning to experience this thrill-filled, heart touching and family-loving ride.