The latest film in the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X, drops tomorrow. I looked at the first half of my franchise rankings last week, and today I continue with my Top 5.
No. 5: Furious 7
About: For me, the strength of the series was the unlikely partnership and friendship between Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker). All five of the films on this list highlight their partnership. This was Walker’s final film; one he didn’t complete. You see it sometimes, but it doesn’t diminish the final product. The sendoff to him is quite emotional. Despite that, I don’t love the story as much here. It’s on the same tier, but I have it a touch lower.
No. 4: Fast & Furious 6
About: This felt like the concluding film to a trilogy, and I think that was intentional. Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) comes back from the dead, and our heroes are able to clear their name and get a happy ending…mostly. If this had been the final film, it would have been a good way to end. It’s a solid action film.
No. 3: The Fast and The Furious
About: This is the film that started it all. Without this film, we wouldn’t have a franchise. It also still holds up as one of the better, more entertaining films. It was described as Point Break with cars, and that feels somewhat apt. I like the story, the building of the bond and the way it comes to a conclusion.
No. 2: Fast Five
About: This is the top tier for me, two films that solidified it as a franchise and are incredibly entertaining. Some have this film, which introduces Dwayne Johnson to the franchise, the best of the films. It’s close for me. This is definitely the best action film of the franchise and it’s also an incredibly fun heist film. It’s peak Fast Saga.
No. 1: Fast & Furious
About: I remember when I first saw the trailer for this film, it gave me chills. Eight years after the original film, the stars returned for the sequel I never knew I needed. This was the film that truly established it as a franchise. It’s my favorite of the films for a lot of sentimental reasons and remains the one I think of most fondly when remembering the franchise.
Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.
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