The movies often get derided for their cheesiness, but the consistently high box office figures prove that those who appreciate it are way more than those bothered by its flaws. There's also no doubt that the ten installment mark wouldn't have been reached if the love wasn't there.
RELATED:
As long as the appetite remains huge, the franchise will likely continue beyond its intended two-film finale, something Vin Diesel has already hinted at (via Screen Rant). But what exactly makes it appealing to movie lovers around the world? Several factors can be singled out as the pillars of success.
CBR VIDEO OF THE DAY
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
10 The Fast & Furious Franchise Embraces Its Absurdity
The ridicule surrounding the unrealistic action sequences and gravity-defying stunts will unlikely end anytime soon. However, the mockery hasn’t inspired the producers and directors to be more conservative with the set pieces. Instead, they have gone bigger.
For example, Fast X has dived even deeper into the gravity topic by including a scene where Dom drives down a vertical dam wall without the car falling off. The automotive wall-crawling is a reminder of one of Spider-Man’s coolest special abilities, and it’s handled very unapologetically. The previous installment also turned a fanbase joke into a reality by making Tej and Roman go to space in a modified Pontiac Fiero.
9 The Series Is Keen On Racial Diversity
A notable Hollywood trend involves audiences being reminded that there is a non-White person in the story. This is done by either incorporating the cultures of these minority groups or simply having the characters address their heritage. However, despite having one of the most diverse casts, the Fast & Furious franchise hardly ever makes a big deal out of it.
RELATED:
Over the course of the film series, nearly every race has been represented. Tej and Roman always get to be major parts of the missions without being roped into Black stereotypes, whereas Han’s Tokyo roots aren’t referenced every single time. As for Letty, there are no references to her roots at all.
8 Fast & Furious' Redemption Arcs Are Satisfactory
Dom’s enemies rarely stay evil forever, so many of the have been granted a redemption arc. For example, Deckard Shaw ends up being Dom’s associate after initially being hellbent on destroying the whole crew, while Jakob Toretto seems happy to take orders from his brother now.
The trend isn’t all for nothing, as it offers a moral lesson, emphasizing that it’s always better to turn to the good side than to keep hurting others. And despite many former baddies crossing over to Dom’s team, there is never the feeling that the family has become overcrowded. This is all thanks to the members’ willingness to accommodate each other.
7 The Series Has Greatly Evolved
Most franchises stick to working formulas, but Fast & Furious has greatly evolved, having begun as a story about a group of racers that stole DVD players from trucks. After a couple of installments, Dom and his crew had already grown to world-beaters that could steal $100 million from a feared Rio crime lord and chase after highly advanced software such as God’s Eye.
Though there are a number of , there are more positives, with the stakes rising in each new movie. No task appears too great for Dom and his crew now, and because of the increased level of resourcefulness, audiences place greater trust in them and turn a blind eye to the cheesiness so long as the job gets done.
6 There's Always High-Octane Action
All factors considered, the action is the film series’ greatest strength. In an era where there is more focus on grounded and realistic clashes, the Fast & Furious movies keep going out of their way to include mindblowing stunts and high-speed chases that keep audiences glued.
RELATED:
Rather than restrict itself to one area, such as gunplay or hand-to-hand-fighting, the high-grossing franchise has used a variety of ingredients to good effect. High production budgets translate to explosions happening all the time, dozens of cars getting destroyed, and hundreds of extras being used.
5 Fast & Furious Movies Have Fantastically On-Brand Dialogue
A franchise’s dialogue is indeed good when the fanbase goes on to create numerous memes about it, and that’s something many other Hollywood projects cannot boast of. Over the past couple of years, Dom’s tendency to use the word “family” has made him fodder for some of the funniest internet jokes.
Still, it isn’t just the that make the Universal Pictures golden goose appealing. Roman Pearce mostly exists for comic relief, so he can always be counted on to say something hilarious, whereas the trading of shady burns between Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw is worth looking forward to. Apart from the banter, there are plenty of heart-to-heart conversations.
4 The Series Corrects Its Mistakes
Various behind-the-scenes mistakes have been made in the past, but all these were corrected. Vin Diesel’s absence from 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift almost spelled doom, but luckily, the actor came back, resulting in renewed fan interest.
Dwayne Johnson’s exit was also bad since he had been a significant reason for the success. Thankfully, his feud with Vin Diesel appears to be over. Besides that, the initial decision to kill off Han had irked some fans, but this was fixed by making a major reveal that revealed the character was still alive.
3 Casting Is A Major Strength For The Fast Franchise
For the most part, each role has been cast perfectly. In Fast Five, Dom needed to face off against someone with the same macho traits and matched his physique, so Dwayne Johnson came in as the relentless DSS agent, Luke Hobbs. In Furious 7, there was a need for a villain that was both a good fighter and a good driver, so Jason Statham was cast. And he was more than a perfect fit since he had played a similar role in The Transporter movies.
RELATED:
Every other actor has been perfect in their role. Michelle Rodriguez is always outstanding as both a lover and crew member, while Charlize Theron is daring and elusive as the overarching villain, Cipher. It’s also hard to imagine any other actors taking the places of Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges.
2 The Cars Remain The True Stars
The franchise might have veered off to espionage recently, but it remains a blast for gearheads because of the high number of unique featured vehicles. From Roman’s 2010 Koenigsegg CCX-R to the Jordanian prince’s 2013 Lykan Hypersport, there is no shortage of cool automobiles on display.
There is no bias on supercars either. Letty’s 1997 Nissan 240SX looks pretty and is very affordable, and so is Vince’s Nissan Maxima. No matter how ambitious the plot gets, the cars remain the true stars of the proceedings. Most importantly, there is at least one race in each installment.
1 There Are Multiple Great Locations
Dom and his family enjoy globetrotting, so fans have been treated to the viewers of multiple picturesque locations over the years. Whether it’s the lush landscapes of the fictional nation of Montequinto or the sloppy streets of Rio de Janeiro, the playgrounds for the heist planners and their foes have kept getting better and better.
By making the characters jump from one location to the next, monotony is avoided. In addition, globetrotting makes the movies visually appealing and creates the impression that the stakes are incredibly high, giving audiences a greater reason to focus.
NEXT: