Fast & Furious: 10 Times The Franchise Was So Bad It Was Good

The Fast and the Furious is one of the biggest movie franchises in the entire world. Some franchises, like the Middle-earth movies and the MCU, have earned their reputation through quality films with tons of great character. For the Fast familia, though, their reputation has come from the most insane stunts and craziest plot escalations.

Every new Fast movie ratchets up the insanity from the previous installment and aims to reach new heights. They started out as humble DVD player traders and now have traveled to every corner of the planet. The following ten moments are absurd, ludicrous, and unbelievably terrible aspects of storytelling. However, they are also what make this franchise so incredible.

10 Brian Forgives Dom

Going back to the early, small-scale days of the franchise, the first movie saw Dom and Brian pitted against each other. By the end of The Fast and the Furious, though, the movie pulls off a complete Point Break homage by having Brian turn his back on his law enforcement job by letting Dom roam free.

This utter disregard for tempering the familia’s vigilante-esque behavior is always baffling across the films. Brian’s 180 degree characterization is unfounded, but also fun. It helps set the films in motion.

9 Pulling A Helicopter

One of the action highlights of the franchise’s first spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw, sees Dwayne Johnson, as Luke Hobbs, pull down a helicopter with nothing but his muscles and a chain.

In real life, this would have ripped his entire body in half. In the movie, Hobbs is somehow stronger than a massive piece of flying machinery. It’s more ludicrous than Ludacris, but it’s still breathtaking.

8 Sherlock Toretto

In these films, Dominic Toretto is all things. He is a superhero, a criminal mastermind, and a vigilante genius– he is also an incredible detective in the fourth film, Fast & Furious.

This movie put Dom back into the thick of the action by having him search for Letty, who is presumed killed. When arriving at the scene of her alleged death, Dom takes in all the clues in mere moments and deduces numerous aspects about what happened to Letty. He’d be right up there with Shawn Spencer when it comes to observant detectives.

7 Han’s Back

Technically, this moment hasn’t happened yet, but anyone who follows the increasing absurdity of these films knew it was only a matter of time. The trailer for the forthcoming Fast film reveals that Han is, in fact, alive.

The figure behind the franchise’s most surprising death has returned to the fold. No matter how they justify it, it’s insane because Han couldn’t have been more dead after his explosion in Tokyo Drift. Yet, it’s still just amazing that he’s back anyway.

6 Watery Plunge In Fast Five

It’s dangerous to jump into water from any height, let alone from a height of roughly seven hundred feet. Yet, that’s exactly what Dom and Brian do in one of the most thrilling moments from Fast Five.

In a world of trains, planes, and automobiles, sometimes action stars use their bodies in the heat of the moment. That’s what happens when they drive off a cliff and leap into the water from the massive height that absolutely should have killed them both. Instead, they resurfaced in seconds. Classic.

5 Vin Diesel Turns Evil

In a plot twist akin to Michelle losing her memory at the end of Full House, Dom Toretto turns into a bad guy in The Fate of the Furious! Obviously, Vin Diesel would never allow Dom to be a villain for too long, but it’s still wild to see him act the antagonist part.

He’s not even really that different from regular Dom. His intentions are always unclear and it’s like something out of a stagnant wrestling match to watch Dom break bad. But it made for a kooky follow-up to Furious 7, which was alleged to be the final installment.

4 Onto The Yacht

In 2 Fast 2 Furious, it seems like Brian and Roman channel their inner Thelma and Louise when they drive their car off a dead-end street. The only difference is that Brian and Roman had a target: the yacht.

The aerodynamics are insane enough without considering how fragile a car leaping onto a yacht should be. The title of this film was a hint to the wild recklessness with which the creators treat the franchise. The yacht scene just confirmed it.

3 Hobbs And Shaw Learn Teamwork

The climax of Hobbs & Shaw sees Hobbs and Shaw fighting Idris Elba’s Brixton Lore (what a name!) in the rain. The entire movie, they’re at odds with one another, but in this moment, they come to a big realization.

If they work together, they can defeat Brixton! That’s right, teamwork is a novel concept and they only learned it at the last possible moment. It’s pure poetry.

2 The Skyscraper Leap

The leap between skyscrapers was a major selling point for Furious 7 as fans were dying to see that stunt on the big screen. It is a positively stupid concept to think that a car that weighs as much as theirs do could get enough momentum to leap between skyscrapers.

If Superman can barely do it, it’s doubtful any of the Fast gang could. Although, Dom Toretto does believe that he’s Superman. Maybe it’s not that implausible that these movies take place in his head.

1 The Highway Vault

None of these moments can hold a candle to the greatest scene in all the films: the highway jump in Fast & Furious 6. Towards the end of the film, Letty is thrown to her death when Dom leaps out of his car, grabs her in mid-air, does a flip, and lands on a windshield across the other side of the highway.

It might be the worst, most implausible moment ever put to cinema. And even still, it’s an iconic moment that is worthy of being rewatched again and again. In that way, it’s a microcosm of this franchise, which is so bad that it’s great.

About The Author