Twenty years ago, The Fast and the Furious raced its first quarter-mile – the beginnings of a franchise no one could have predicted would still be kicking down the door at the box office today. The movies have jumped around in time as cast members come and go, directors put their stamp on the franchise, and cars get faster (and even more outrageous). But despite all of the retcons, reshoots, and new plotlines, the spirit of Dom, Brian, Letty, and the rest of the family has endured for two generations – and that legacy is set to continue with F9 (2021) and beyond.
The First Movie
The first film in the franchise may feel like a time capsule now, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth revisiting. Sure, the stakes are lower back then – it’s car-jacking rather than global terrorism – but the souped-up engines and NOS-fueled stuntwork remain just as fun. And, of course, in this film, we met Jordana Brewster’s Mia Toretto and Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty, who became integral to the gang from day one.
The most enduring element of this first movie is its tragic ending. The late Paul Walker, then relatively unknown, stars as Brian O’Conner, a Los Angeles police officer sent to infiltrate a heist crew led by Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel). Initially distrustful of his henchmen, Brian respects the crew’s driving skills and strict moral code and decides to let them go free.
However, the film also introduced a character who could have been lucky: Han Lue, a henchman played by Sung Kang. Although he appears to die in a fiery crash during Tokyo Drift, he is resurrected in the next movie and eventually becomes a permanent crew member.
From there, the franchise has only continued to grow, expanding into a universe that rivals most comic book movies in terms of rich lore and heroic (some even say superheroic) leads. The films have also jumped through timelines, as the cast has changed over the years, and characters have died and resurrected with amnesia.
Of course, the most heartbreaking development came during the production of 2015’s Furious 7, when the real-life Paul Walker tragically passed away on the set. Despite this, the show must go on, as evidenced by how his brothers Cody and Caleb finished his scenes for the film using CGI. In the decades to come, the gang will continue to do what they do best: blowing up cars and stealing hearts all over the globe. So buckle up, stay on the gas, and stay tuned. There’s no telling where the next mile will take us.
