The Fast and the Furious. A look at the franchise and how it never really was about cars.
I mean think about it. Yes we all like The Fast and the Furious movies they are good… no wait. Actually those movies aren’t even good. They are entertaining they waste some of your time and they involve nice looking cars and as the series grows older nice looking girls to. But where they ever good? In my opinion as a big movie fan who has a collection of about 300 Blu-Rays and as many DVDs the movies become worse every time I watch them. I like them yes but I can’t bring myself to say they are good and the worst part is they aren’t even about cars anymore (the reason I started watching them).
Just take a look at the Series:
The Fast and the Furious. Part 1:
A undercover cop is being ordered to infiltrate a bunch of criminals who are taking down truckloads of DVD Players. Oh yes those criminals do street racing. That is literally the only reason the car culture is in the movie. So is it a car movie? Yes, yes it is. But it could also just be a cop movie. Scratch away the street racing and the movie stays the same. They use cars for the heist yes but they could also do that without doing street racing. For me the movie isn’t all about cars and the culture around them and that makes it bad as a car movie. As a 12 year old this movie was really good but watching it now it is more disappointing each time.
2Fast2Furious. You guessed it Part 2
A undercover cop gone rouge is being caught and set on a mission to capture a drug lord by a weird plot involving some riced Mitsubishis. So again let’s look for the car culture in this movie. Brian does do street racing yes but only as way to survive you could say he is into it but it could also just be because he is good at driving and that makes easy money while staying under the radar. Also again the cars are just kinda there. The main plot is again a cop movie.
Fast & Furious. No this is not Part 3 this actually Part 4 but its the third chronological
Okay wait is this F&F? I mean what? Even the reason they use the cars for is completely dumb now. There must be a better way to smuggle those drugs?? And car culture uhhh… yeah no.
Fast Five. Part 5 but somehow Part 4 in the right order
A heist movie on wheels. I don’t really want to go into this. Car culture oh wait yes under that bridge where the Rock and Vin had that awesome stare down. So 5 minutes of the movie? Yeah….
Fast and Furious 6 or Furious 6 depends on where you live and actually its Part 5
Ahh don’t get me started on this one. Car culture here about the same as in the heist movie part. A short scene following a badly edited street race in London.
Furious 7. Part 6 or actually half of it as some events take place at the same time as part 3 (of the release order)
Okay I have no idea where this going anymore. This movie made me shed some tears yes. But only because it had a awesome tribute but by now you could rename the franchise all together. Its just a over the top action movie that involves some cars here and there.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Part 3 in the release order but actually part 6 or 7
This is THE car movie in the franchise. Why you ask me? Simple. What’s this movie about? It’s about Sean a 17 year old looking like 23 or more like 30 but never mind. It’s about Sean a teenager that lives for cars. I mean have you seen his insane Monte Carlo? That car needs dedication to build. Moving on why does he get in trouble? For a illegal street race. Not for stealing DVD Players or drugs or anything no he gets into trouble for racing a car. He gets send to his father to Tokyo and what does he do there. No he doesn’t get out and robs a bank or deals drugs as you may thought judging from the franchise so far. No he goes and looks at the car culture. What does he do there? He simply wants to race. He fails his first race he gets up and he becomes the champ. It’s a simple story but it’s all about cars and the people around them. I mean they don’t solve their issues with guns. They shoot at each other yes but like real car guys they agree to solve their problems on the road, with a race. Come on how awesome is that?
For me the more I watch the franchise, Tokyo Drift becomes better each time. All movies entertain me and I really somehow do like them despite hating on them. But only looking at it from a car guy point of view Tokyo Drift really is the best movie here. So what do you think? Just let me know in the comments.Also if you would like more rants about movies like this just tell me and suggest a movie.
Comments
If you’re looking for a good comparison on how first FnF is a cop movie, just remember it’s a point break ripoff. :) And yeah, FnF 4 is an Italian Job ripoff, so car culture has no place being there at all, the plot does not allow it. Car is a means to an end there
Also yeah, i’ve been thinking of writing something very similar as of late, but you beat me to it.
Haha just go ahead mate CT needs quality post mention stuff I missed or left out :D And I never saw Point Break but I just read the Wiki damn its exactly the same!
Sir, you have my total respect.
You got it wrong, buddy, what I mean (and i’m sure many other people would agree with me) is that they used to race cars a lot and had some other action that doesn’t have cars but now it’s just guns and they forgot about the good old cars they used before =[
I don’t mind having a heist but we gotta get some races.
Furious 7 had only 1 race if I remember it right and the rest was rockets and bullets.
In my opinion I think they should balance between racing and guns…
I really though about it and I still come to the same conclusion each time. The cars are just there to be there. The only real movie that is about the car culture and solving problems with cars so no guns at all is Tokyo Drift which makes it the ultimate car movie in the franchise. Have you seen Born 2 Race? That is a car movie. Its about a passion, about solving problems with cars and not guns. Its about a culture and the people in it. Not about cops or drugs or heists. I know Born 2 Race is super bad as a movie but its a good car movie.
That’s exactly what his entire post was about, you just repeated what he said.
The only fast and furious i actually liked was tokyo drift
You have an interesting point, but I have to disagree.
Finally a post I agree with on ct
Tokyo drift all the way! Glad Im not the only one who thought this!
I agree completely.. It’s ages since i ‘ve seen my first F&F, and i Like them all… But i have to admit that they aren’t about car culture.. The one which is more into cars is the third, but just because there aren’t O’Conner and Toretto, most People don’t like it.. But probably is my favourite because of what you said.. I agree totally.. I’ve Always thought the same things!