With the launch of The Fate of the Furious (the eighth installment in the Fast & Furious Franchise), we thought it would be a good idea to rank the seven previous films. Most franchises seem to run out of steam after about three or four movies, but The Fast & Furious franchise has only grown to epic proportions, with the last one making 1.5 billion dollars worldwide.
7. 2 Fast 2 Furious
After the surprise success of The Fast and the Furious in 2001, a follow up to the street racing epic was in no doubt. Unfortunately the movie didn’t turn out as successful as the first and in many ways was actually pretty terrible. Without Vin Diesel, the franchise didn’t have the flare and edginess of the original. Paul Walker’s return was one saving grace of the film and reminded us of what was so great about the original. Tyrese Gibson joined as Walker’s new sidekick, along with Eva Mendes as a U.S. Customs agent and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as Tej. While some of the film’s chase scenes work, it fails to capture the magic of the first.
6. Fast & Furious 4
After the lukewarm reception to 2006’s Tokyo Drift and the abysmal 2 Fast 2 Furious, the franchise reached all the way back to its roots for 2009’s installment. All four original stars — Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Michelle Rodriguez — triumphantly return, removing any more annoying side stories to create a proper follow up to the original 2001 movie. The movie travels back in time (like the two following movies) to events that take place before Tokyo Drift. Fast & Furious however; lacks the over the top energy of later installments and the street racing focus of the original.
5. Tokyo Drift
A new cast and a new driving style was the franchise’s attempt to start anew, however the movie failed to capture the imagination of viewers. Tokyo drift bears little initial connection with the previous entries; however Vin Diesel’s cameo at the end and drifter Han help set up the intricate story of future installments. Protagonist Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) doesn’t hit the mark in a setting that should have been the best for the franchise. The only real saving grace is that it’s more about cars than the majority of other films in the series and the Tokyo setting brings a whole new element to the franchise.
4. Fast & Furious 6
Featuring one of the most unbelievable, but highly entertaining scenes in movie history, Fast & Furious 6 is without a doubt an incredibly enjoyable experience to watch. Letty flying off the tank to certain death, and Dominic Toretto crashing his car so he can fly into her and catch her, makes for an interesting enough read let alone a scene in a movie. It also has another high-intensity action scene where the goodies battle it out with the baddies on what is seemingly a never ending runway. Additionally, Luke Evans’ Owen Shaw is a marked improvement over the lackluster villains in the previous movies.
3. Furious 7
The latest entry into the Fast series not only managed to be a bit of a tear tear-jerker for some, but it also managed to bring in over $1.5 million, making tears of joy for the owners. Not only was it a blast at the box office, it was also a blast to watch. An outstanding cast, some of the most creative set-pieces we’ve seen yet, and action on a biblical scale only added to the excitement. The movie also delivers a touching tribute to the franchises’s late star, Paul Walker. While it deviates from the street racing roots of the original, Furious 7 certainly makes up for it in other areas.
2. Fast 5
There’s not much in it between Fast Five and Furious 7, however the fifth installment really upped the ante from the previous films. We also saw the inclusion of Dwayne Johnson as the DSS agent on the tail of Vin Diesel’s (Toretto’s) crew. It also unites all the main characters from the four previous films, to create a Avenger’s-like feel for the movie. Some of the scenes wouldn’t be misplaced in an Avenger’s film as well. With crazy train robberies and insane heists, Fast Five brought the franchise to a new level. The movie sets aside the street racing culture of the original for the crazy new antics of the crew.
1. The Fast and the Furious
The start of the Fast & Furious phenomenon was criticized as a Point Breat rip off, and honestly we can see why. Point Break’s story of an undercover agent infiltrating and eventually empathizing with a gang of thieves is strikingly similar to The Fast and the Furious, which launched ten years later. The only real difference is they replaced surfboards with cars. Despite this, the first installment is our favourite in the franchise. Yes, the movie might not be as complete as some of the later films, but its focus was around the cars and the crew made it more down to earth than some of the ridiculous scenes in the other movies. It’s the one we re-watch again and again, and it never gets old. The genesis.
