I really hate what the Fast and Furious franchise became after Justin Lin left. The franchise was my absolute favorite right up until 7 came out. I am not really sure how to organize this so I will just sort of go and do a TL;DR at the end.
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
I still remember going to see this with my dad. We love cars, and this movie had cars, why wouldn't we love it?!? It was stupid, but it was earnestly stupid, and it ended with a nice happily ever after cliff hanger of Dom in Mexico. Also that Supra was sexy as fuuuuuuck. Anyway, my dad and I both loved it. Maybe we liked it extra because we were living in Southern California and actually recognized a lot of the locations (we would drive by the spot where they blow up the Eclipse all the time). Maybe it was because we are Mexican and the film ends with Dom going to Mexico. Anyway, the movie sparked a connection and when we found out there was a sequel we were there opening weekend.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
2 Fast 2 Furious was stupid as fuck, knew it was stupid as fuck, but was still entertaining. There were real nice cars and I had fun with it. Special shoutout to the Dodge Viper which I was hyped as hell to see on screen as it was my favorite car. I was bummed that Dom didn't come out though. I legitimately thought he would appear when Brian says he knows who he wants as a partner and ends up picking up Roman. Anyway, all good fun but I figured this would be the end of the franchise.
Turbo Charged Prelude (2003)
Of course I was buying all these movies as they came out on DVD, and the prelude showing how Brian went from the first movie to the sequel was a nice touch that showed someone gave a shit for continuity. The short can be found on Youtube.
Also, as an aside, those DVD's had a trailer for a super cool looking Fast and Furious video game. I waited and waited but it never actually came out. :(
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Oh shit I thought we were done with this franchise forever but then we got this new one. I remember rewatching the trailer constantly and being incredibly excited to see it. As I said, the Dodge Viper was like my favorite car ever and the shot of it racing in the trailer was amazing. Also this is the last trailer I remember watching with the "In a world" narrator.
Tokyo Drift was awesome, had some beautiful cars and the tease at the end with Dom. HOLY SHIT! I thought we were done forever with the old franchise but it looks like we actually doing this. We bringing them back!!!! My excitement was through the roof. And even when I first saw it I was left wondering "how the fuck is Dom going to drift that giant fucking car in this tiny ass parking garage?"
Fast & Furious (2009)
Yeah, we are finally back. Once again, this had me watching the two trailers on repeat (trailer one and two). Seeing Han back was the hypest shit ever, although it was a bummer how he is basically just there and then he is like "lol bye I'm going to Tokyo." I was also disappointed that Roman didn't come out. That said, I still loved this movie. Every time someone drifted in this movie it was also hype as fuck. This movie recentered the franchise and gave them a place to move forward again. It felt like an actual sequel to the first movie. It felt like what JJ wanted to do with The Force Awakens (but failed). Also the Dom/Brian race is the single best race in the franchise. Depending on the day of the week, this is either my favorite or second favorite movie in the franchise.
Los Bandoleros (2009)
Another short film prequel, this time following Dom in the lead up to the fourth movie. This came with the DVD, and was a nice additional trip to the universe and see more Han. It can be watched on Vimeo here.
Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
Not actually officially a Fast and Furious movie, but Justin Lin brought the character of Han over from his first movie into the Fast and Furious franchise and his characterization is identical so it is a fun movie to watch with the series. It isn't about cars at all although Han does drive a beautiful orange Mustang. I didn't end up watching this until after Fast and Furious when I found out about the Han connection.
Fast Five (2011)
I keep mentioning the trailers for these movies but I can't quite articulate just how excited a new one of these would make me. This one in particular though. That shot of everyone together.
This fucking shot right here. This was my Avengers lining up moment. The crew is all coming together. I had already accepted in my heart that we were never going to get everyone back together but then we get this. And then we actually watch the movie and find out even Vince is back!?!?! Once again, amazing movie that had me smiling from ear to ear. We bump up the stupidity in this movie with the train scene at the start and the bank scene at the end but there is still an earnest and sincere focus on the characters and la familia. Also Lin was straight up fucking with the audience at the end when Han is asked about Tokyo and he responds "we'll get there eventually." That to me was a promise from Lin that we would eventually come back full circle, and I had no reason not to trust.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Remember when I said that depending on the day, Fast & Furious (2009) was either my favorite or second favorite in the franchise? Well, this is the other one. This is peak goofy Fast and the Furious, the movie where Justin Lin walks right up to the line of stupidity with his spatula cars, tanks and planes. But it works. At this point the crew is looking untouchable and I love seeing them lose that initial encounter to Shaw's crew. It was the equivalent to the Sabaody Archipelago arc in One Piece where our heroes get humbled. This is the very last movie in the franchise that I loved, and I want to take a moment to talk about why this one worked to contrast it why the next two don't.
The focus in this movie is always on the characters. There is some fucking plot about a device Shaw is trying to steal but it doesn't matter. They mention nightshade device once in the entire movie, and at the same time that is happening, Roman is trying to get a snack out of a vending machine. That is not an accident, Justin Lin knew no one gave a shit and to focus on it would just bog the movie down. He explicitly says this in the commentary for the movie (note, Justin Lin does really good commentaries that are worth checking out if they are your thing). Get a real tank, actually build parts of the plane, build an actual pancake flipping car, go as practical as possible, even as we venture into more and more into the fantastical. The only thing that ends up sticking out is the mid air freeway catch Dom does, but I can allow a little bit of extra stupid shit to pass every now and then.
Anyway, this movie finally brings us back full circle and reveals Han's death in Tokyo Drift was not an accident. We are finally back full circle, and the next movie is going to be a sequel to Tokyo Drift!!!! My excitement is peaked. We are finally going to get to loop the Tokyo Drift gang into the main crew.
The time between Furious 6 and Furious 7
So we knew this was going to be a revenge movie, and given that Shaw was supposed to be going after the crew, it seemed safe to assume other characters were going to get killed. I thought it was a safe bet that Don Omar and Tego Calderon would have their characters killed to raise the steaks further. Then Paul Walker died. I loved this franchise, and Paul Walker's death hit me harder than any celebrity death ever has. I was super bummed and wasn't sure what they were going to do with the movie. That said, the franchise is more than just him and I honestly thought (and still think) that, given circumstances, the best thing would have been to recast him or to kill off Brian (although I can see how that might not have been in good taste).
Anyway, my feelings are now conflicted leading up to 7 but I am still excited to see us loop back around to Tokyo and finally get to see how the fuck Dom drifts in that tiny garage with his giant muscle car, and if he would actually be able to beat the Drift King. A set photo comes out of Lucas Black and Vin Diesel together and I feel that I have nothing to worry about, even though Justin Lin isn't directing this one it is going to be fine.
Furious 7 (2015)
I wanted to like this, I was still here opening weekend with my Dad, but holy fucking shit is this movie awful and disrespectful to everything that came before it. Let's start with the Tokyo bit. I have been waiting nearly a decade to see Dom and Sean race, how the fuck are you going to just go and do it off screen you fucking bastards?!?!?! And just say that Dom won. Ok fine, maybe the run time was going to long, but then we have Dom tell Sean that Han, Sean's mentor and father figure, was murdered, and Sean doesn't go after him!?!?! Sean straight up confronted the leader of the Yakuza in Tokyo Drift, why the fuck wouldn't he go to avenge his friend's death!?!?
Then everything with Shaw is fucking bugs bunny. The difference between Furious 6 and Furious 7 is like the difference between Saints Row 2 and Saints Row 3 (Fuck Saints Row 3). Everyone starts acting like a fucking caricature of themselves. Also Dom lifts a car with his bare hands. WHAT THE FUCK, THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ACTUAL SUPERHEROES! And then all the drone shit at the end where they destroy LA. Ugh.
Again, the characterization of everyone, Roman and Tej in particular, is fucked. And the plot is stupid. Granted, it was stupid in Furious 6 too. However, in 7 they made the mistake of actually spending an excruciatingly boring amount of time explaining the stupid plot. Fuck this whole fucking movie. It is fucking clown shoes.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
More fucking clown shoes. Didn't actually watch this one in theaters, that is how bad the last one was. 7 movies my dad and I were always there and this is where that tradition ended. By the time we did watch it on HBO I wasn't even mad, just more disappointed. It was clear with the way Furious 7 was received that nobody except for me, my dad, and Justin Lin actually cared about this franchise and so I was no longer emotionally invested in these movies anymore.
Still, 8 is dumb. Even more dumb than 7. Once again too much time is spent explaining your stupid plot that no one cares about, and the characters are all even more stupid caricatures of their former selves. Also, Dom goes crazy and his sister Mia and best friend Brian don't come to stop him? And they aren't there to greet Dom's son? Fuck off. They should have killed his character off in the last movie if they didn't want to recast him. And redeeming Shaw was fucking stupid too. And why the fuck was Scott Eastwood in this movie? You couldn't replace that bland motherfucker with Lucas Black? Yes, I'm still upset he got done so dirty.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
My dad and I did actually go watch this one in theaters. I actually thought it was fine. Stupid, yes, but fine.
In conclusion / TL;DR
The Fast and the Furious franchise was a favorite of mine and my dad up to and including the 6th entry. It was something that we bonded over and we have seen almost every entry in the theater (except 8). With the four movies that Justin Lin made, he brought a lot of heart to the franchise. He treated the characters with respect and made sure that their interactions were always what were the focus, not the crazy situations they were in. Furious 7, 8 and the spin-off all feel like natural sequels to 2 Fast 2 Furious, movies where they just continue to escalate the stupid and the characters all take a back seat. I have no idea what Justin Lin is going to do with 9, but if there was anyone who could salvage this franchise and bring it back, it would be him.
I still enjoy watching the first 6 movies, and am interested in seeing where the franchise goes in 9. Anyway, did what I say resonate with anyone or am I alone with these feelings?
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
I still remember going to see this with my dad. We love cars, and this movie had cars, why wouldn't we love it?!? It was stupid, but it was earnestly stupid, and it ended with a nice happily ever after cliff hanger of Dom in Mexico. Also that Supra was sexy as fuuuuuuck. Anyway, my dad and I both loved it. Maybe we liked it extra because we were living in Southern California and actually recognized a lot of the locations (we would drive by the spot where they blow up the Eclipse all the time). Maybe it was because we are Mexican and the film ends with Dom going to Mexico. Anyway, the movie sparked a connection and when we found out there was a sequel we were there opening weekend.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
2 Fast 2 Furious was stupid as fuck, knew it was stupid as fuck, but was still entertaining. There were real nice cars and I had fun with it. Special shoutout to the Dodge Viper which I was hyped as hell to see on screen as it was my favorite car. I was bummed that Dom didn't come out though. I legitimately thought he would appear when Brian says he knows who he wants as a partner and ends up picking up Roman. Anyway, all good fun but I figured this would be the end of the franchise.
Turbo Charged Prelude (2003)
Of course I was buying all these movies as they came out on DVD, and the prelude showing how Brian went from the first movie to the sequel was a nice touch that showed someone gave a shit for continuity. The short can be found on Youtube.
Also, as an aside, those DVD's had a trailer for a super cool looking Fast and Furious video game. I waited and waited but it never actually came out. :(
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Oh shit I thought we were done with this franchise forever but then we got this new one. I remember rewatching the trailer constantly and being incredibly excited to see it. As I said, the Dodge Viper was like my favorite car ever and the shot of it racing in the trailer was amazing. Also this is the last trailer I remember watching with the "In a world" narrator.
Tokyo Drift was awesome, had some beautiful cars and the tease at the end with Dom. HOLY SHIT! I thought we were done forever with the old franchise but it looks like we actually doing this. We bringing them back!!!! My excitement was through the roof. And even when I first saw it I was left wondering "how the fuck is Dom going to drift that giant fucking car in this tiny ass parking garage?"
Fast & Furious (2009)
Yeah, we are finally back. Once again, this had me watching the two trailers on repeat (trailer one and two). Seeing Han back was the hypest shit ever, although it was a bummer how he is basically just there and then he is like "lol bye I'm going to Tokyo." I was also disappointed that Roman didn't come out. That said, I still loved this movie. Every time someone drifted in this movie it was also hype as fuck. This movie recentered the franchise and gave them a place to move forward again. It felt like an actual sequel to the first movie. It felt like what JJ wanted to do with The Force Awakens (but failed). Also the Dom/Brian race is the single best race in the franchise. Depending on the day of the week, this is either my favorite or second favorite movie in the franchise.
Los Bandoleros (2009)
Another short film prequel, this time following Dom in the lead up to the fourth movie. This came with the DVD, and was a nice additional trip to the universe and see more Han. It can be watched on Vimeo here.
Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
Not actually officially a Fast and Furious movie, but Justin Lin brought the character of Han over from his first movie into the Fast and Furious franchise and his characterization is identical so it is a fun movie to watch with the series. It isn't about cars at all although Han does drive a beautiful orange Mustang. I didn't end up watching this until after Fast and Furious when I found out about the Han connection.
Fast Five (2011)
I keep mentioning the trailers for these movies but I can't quite articulate just how excited a new one of these would make me. This one in particular though. That shot of everyone together.
This fucking shot right here. This was my Avengers lining up moment. The crew is all coming together. I had already accepted in my heart that we were never going to get everyone back together but then we get this. And then we actually watch the movie and find out even Vince is back!?!?! Once again, amazing movie that had me smiling from ear to ear. We bump up the stupidity in this movie with the train scene at the start and the bank scene at the end but there is still an earnest and sincere focus on the characters and la familia. Also Lin was straight up fucking with the audience at the end when Han is asked about Tokyo and he responds "we'll get there eventually." That to me was a promise from Lin that we would eventually come back full circle, and I had no reason not to trust.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Remember when I said that depending on the day, Fast & Furious (2009) was either my favorite or second favorite in the franchise? Well, this is the other one. This is peak goofy Fast and the Furious, the movie where Justin Lin walks right up to the line of stupidity with his spatula cars, tanks and planes. But it works. At this point the crew is looking untouchable and I love seeing them lose that initial encounter to Shaw's crew. It was the equivalent to the Sabaody Archipelago arc in One Piece where our heroes get humbled. This is the very last movie in the franchise that I loved, and I want to take a moment to talk about why this one worked to contrast it why the next two don't.
The focus in this movie is always on the characters. There is some fucking plot about a device Shaw is trying to steal but it doesn't matter. They mention nightshade device once in the entire movie, and at the same time that is happening, Roman is trying to get a snack out of a vending machine. That is not an accident, Justin Lin knew no one gave a shit and to focus on it would just bog the movie down. He explicitly says this in the commentary for the movie (note, Justin Lin does really good commentaries that are worth checking out if they are your thing). Get a real tank, actually build parts of the plane, build an actual pancake flipping car, go as practical as possible, even as we venture into more and more into the fantastical. The only thing that ends up sticking out is the mid air freeway catch Dom does, but I can allow a little bit of extra stupid shit to pass every now and then.
Anyway, this movie finally brings us back full circle and reveals Han's death in Tokyo Drift was not an accident. We are finally back full circle, and the next movie is going to be a sequel to Tokyo Drift!!!! My excitement is peaked. We are finally going to get to loop the Tokyo Drift gang into the main crew.
The time between Furious 6 and Furious 7
So we knew this was going to be a revenge movie, and given that Shaw was supposed to be going after the crew, it seemed safe to assume other characters were going to get killed. I thought it was a safe bet that Don Omar and Tego Calderon would have their characters killed to raise the steaks further. Then Paul Walker died. I loved this franchise, and Paul Walker's death hit me harder than any celebrity death ever has. I was super bummed and wasn't sure what they were going to do with the movie. That said, the franchise is more than just him and I honestly thought (and still think) that, given circumstances, the best thing would have been to recast him or to kill off Brian (although I can see how that might not have been in good taste).
Anyway, my feelings are now conflicted leading up to 7 but I am still excited to see us loop back around to Tokyo and finally get to see how the fuck Dom drifts in that tiny garage with his giant muscle car, and if he would actually be able to beat the Drift King. A set photo comes out of Lucas Black and Vin Diesel together and I feel that I have nothing to worry about, even though Justin Lin isn't directing this one it is going to be fine.
Furious 7 (2015)
I wanted to like this, I was still here opening weekend with my Dad, but holy fucking shit is this movie awful and disrespectful to everything that came before it. Let's start with the Tokyo bit. I have been waiting nearly a decade to see Dom and Sean race, how the fuck are you going to just go and do it off screen you fucking bastards?!?!?! And just say that Dom won. Ok fine, maybe the run time was going to long, but then we have Dom tell Sean that Han, Sean's mentor and father figure, was murdered, and Sean doesn't go after him!?!?! Sean straight up confronted the leader of the Yakuza in Tokyo Drift, why the fuck wouldn't he go to avenge his friend's death!?!?
Then everything with Shaw is fucking bugs bunny. The difference between Furious 6 and Furious 7 is like the difference between Saints Row 2 and Saints Row 3 (Fuck Saints Row 3). Everyone starts acting like a fucking caricature of themselves. Also Dom lifts a car with his bare hands. WHAT THE FUCK, THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ACTUAL SUPERHEROES! And then all the drone shit at the end where they destroy LA. Ugh.
Again, the characterization of everyone, Roman and Tej in particular, is fucked. And the plot is stupid. Granted, it was stupid in Furious 6 too. However, in 7 they made the mistake of actually spending an excruciatingly boring amount of time explaining the stupid plot. Fuck this whole fucking movie. It is fucking clown shoes.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
More fucking clown shoes. Didn't actually watch this one in theaters, that is how bad the last one was. 7 movies my dad and I were always there and this is where that tradition ended. By the time we did watch it on HBO I wasn't even mad, just more disappointed. It was clear with the way Furious 7 was received that nobody except for me, my dad, and Justin Lin actually cared about this franchise and so I was no longer emotionally invested in these movies anymore.
Still, 8 is dumb. Even more dumb than 7. Once again too much time is spent explaining your stupid plot that no one cares about, and the characters are all even more stupid caricatures of their former selves. Also, Dom goes crazy and his sister Mia and best friend Brian don't come to stop him? And they aren't there to greet Dom's son? Fuck off. They should have killed his character off in the last movie if they didn't want to recast him. And redeeming Shaw was fucking stupid too. And why the fuck was Scott Eastwood in this movie? You couldn't replace that bland motherfucker with Lucas Black? Yes, I'm still upset he got done so dirty.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
My dad and I did actually go watch this one in theaters. I actually thought it was fine. Stupid, yes, but fine.
In conclusion / TL;DR
The Fast and the Furious franchise was a favorite of mine and my dad up to and including the 6th entry. It was something that we bonded over and we have seen almost every entry in the theater (except 8). With the four movies that Justin Lin made, he brought a lot of heart to the franchise. He treated the characters with respect and made sure that their interactions were always what were the focus, not the crazy situations they were in. Furious 7, 8 and the spin-off all feel like natural sequels to 2 Fast 2 Furious, movies where they just continue to escalate the stupid and the characters all take a back seat. I have no idea what Justin Lin is going to do with 9, but if there was anyone who could salvage this franchise and bring it back, it would be him.
I still enjoy watching the first 6 movies, and am interested in seeing where the franchise goes in 9. Anyway, did what I say resonate with anyone or am I alone with these feelings?
