It’s hard to believe that a little Paul Walker vehicle (pun so fully intended) from a over a decade ago has turned into one of the box office’s most beloved franchises, spawning no less than five sequels, all while seamlessly shifting genres, earning new fans at every turn, and keeping The Rock’s baby oil handler very much in the money. The Fast and Furious franchise is a surprise hit all around, and with the release of the series’ unbelievable sixth entry zooming into a theater near you this weekend, fans everywhere will soon be debating the best exploits of Brian, Dom, and the rest of the family, and things are no different here at Reject HQ. What’s the best act of vehicular mayhem in the franchise? The sickest stunt? The most oily Rock appearance? We don’t know, but we sure know what we like best from the series that just won’t pull over.
Strap in, buckle up, start your engines, and drive off into the sunset with five of our favorite scenes from the Fast and Furious franchise.
The Final Race in The Fast and the Furious
Sure, there are plenty of great races in the first film (hell, there are plenty of great races in the entire franchise), but there’s something to be said for the most traditional race in the entire series. Two dudes. Two cars. One stretch of road. Oh, and a train, but whatever. If the Fast and Furious franchise knows how to do anything, it knows how to end a goddamn movie (more on that later), and the final race in The Fast and the Furious really just ties things up with a big, heart-pounding bow. It also sets the stage for more mayhem to come and seals the deal on that inevitable Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Walker) bromance (all together now – awwww).
Brian Lands a Car On a Yacht in 2 Fast 2 Furious
While plenty of fuss has been made over some of the larger vehicles that pop up in the newest film (a tank! a plane!), the franchise’s obsession with big toys started early. Sure, sure, it’s very impressive that Vin Diesel drives a car out of a moving airplane in the latest film, but way back in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Paul Walker was driving cars onto moving yachts, all while Tyrese Gibson screams like he’s being murdered in the passenger seat and Eva Mendes somehow manages to look bored the entire time (this is why we got rid you, Mendes). This stunt sequence is insane, and it’s also the first real example that the franchise doesn’t give a good goddamn about physics or road conditions or wind factor or what have you. Ride or die indeed.
Sean Boswell Masters the Drift in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Remember how dumb we all felt when we realized that our seemingly one-off visit to Tokyo was going to play such a huge, huge part in the continuation of the franchise? Nope, not us. A punchline no longer, Tokyo Drift may have starred Lucas Black (who, honestly, we’d love to see pop up sometime soon) and Zachery Ty Bryan, but it also introduced us to Han (Sung Kang), gave us a new style of racing, brought director Justin Lin into the fold, and formed a most unexpected (if timeline-jumping) link in the franchise. So just what is Tokyo drifting? We learn right along with Black’s Sean Boswell, and it’s one of the most fun, lighthearted, and crucial teaching moments in the entire series. Yes, some of us members of the family need to learn how to drive properly, and here’s how.
The Final Scene in Fast & Furious
The fourth film the franchise may be the least exciting one yet, but just like Tokyo Drift, it introduced us to all kinds of major players and plots that have proven way important as the series has progressed. Lack of pop aside, the film ends on one hell of a high note, with Dom finally being forced to pay for his crimes (hahahahahahah, sure, yeah, okay) and being trundled off to prison. What? You don’t like that scene? Good, we don’t either, but we sure love the scene immediately following, when Brian, Mia (Jordana Brewster), and company come to get him. The family doesn’t even need to actually spring him to make Dom smile like, well, like a guy who just got busted out of prison, and neither do we, because we just know they’re going to succeed.
The Haul Part of the Heist in Fast Five (Also Known As “Uh, Sorry, Brazil?”)
