At the beginning of the 21st century, it would be strange to assume that Fast and Furious The saga will continue 20 years from now. Somehow a franchise that started out as a lazy remake Boiling point ended up creating one of the largest and most ridiculous fictional universes in existence. With more and more insane tricks VIN dieselan insatiable ego, behind-the-scenes arguments between actors, chaotic productions with successive directors and two $1 billion installments, Fast and Furious Literally traveled to space and back. When looking for a turning point in a series, fast five clearly the moment when everything changed; For the first time, the franchise seemed to recognize which elements worked and added an element of comic absurdity that set the stage for future success.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY

SCROLL TO CONTINUE CONTENT

Director Justin Linwho directed the previous two installments of the series, fast five decided to drop the street racing element that was needed for the first four films. While audiences seemed interested in the epic car stunts and cast, the street racing element just wasn’t enough to keep the stakes up after four installments. Instead of, fast five it turns out Dominic Toretto (Diesel), Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), and their team on a heist team when they are tracked down by DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). What follows is a funny, heartfelt summer action thriller that the series would try to surpass from then on.

The Fast Five Finally Found What Worked

vin diesel dwayne johnson fast five
Image via Universal Pictures

fast five was not the first film in the saga to experience a creative departure, but previous attempts had generated no prior interest. The original movie created a fun dynamic between Dom and Brian, but the series tried to gain a bit more prestige with 2 Fast 2 Furious when he hired an Academy Award nominated director John Singleton. Singleton is a legend and one of the most important black filmmakers of all time, but his style just didn’t fit with the studio action movie aesthetic. Likewise, Lin’s attempt to make a film based literally on vibrations alone did not work in favor of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo DriftAnd Fast and Furious did not go far enough in the study of the criminal underground.

The series showed that he could create great racing scenes, but there was simply no reason to stay invested when the stakes were never higher than a medal; it was the interpersonal drama between the characters that seemed to give the series such goodwill. The only way to test Dom, Brian, and the team that has begun to become “family” is to put them at greater risk of danger with the potential to become true heroes. fast five threatened to de-employ Dom when the DEA confiscated their cars; Sure, these characters can win races, but can they pull off a heist while chasing Hobbs?

The importance of Dwayne Johnson to the development of the series cannot be overstated. It was a saga that worked thanks to its star power and it was the first time Diesel had to fight another actor who was as good looking as him. Johnson was at the point in his career where he had established himself as a major action star, and he was clearly more physically imposing and a better actor than Diesel. While perhaps the real tension between the two is to be commended, it certainly added to the on-screen tension. The house is forced to rely on its team, and its victory comes from the fact that he created a team that is loyal to the point of failure. Sure, Hobbs is bigger, stronger, and more charismatic, but what was he missing that gave the House the edge? “Family.”

How did Fast Five change the direction of the franchise?

Jordana Brewster and Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 5.
Image via Universal Pictures

Bye Fast and Furious suffered from a large number of computer images, fast five a real stunt team is introduced that could piece together more imaginative action sequences. The film opens with a burst of energy that basically introduces Dom as a superhero; Brian and his sister MiaJordana Brewster) snatch him off the bus so he won’t be sent to jail. This immediately adds a level of danger as they are now on the run from the local authorities. This makes the idea that they will take on the heist more believable and reinforces the idea that they are “family” and that they won’t do anything they won’t do to protect each other.

The capture of Dom and Brian by drug lord Herman Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) jeopardizes their position by ensuring that the crew will have to take advantage of this heist as a last resort. Reyes himself isn’t a particularly memorable villain, but the addition of an antagonist taken straight from a 1980s action movie was unique in history. Fast and Furious saga. It also gives Hobbs a hard case against them, allowing Johnson to be a stalker but not an outright villain. He is a serviceman seeking justice, which allows him to see in the end that Dom’s quest is still honorable.

Fast Five is the new franchise model

What follows is one of the most ridiculous and insane acts in the entire franchise; while the series subsequently moved on to more ridiculous places, the audacity of the latest vault heist is one of the moments that really took viewers’ breath away. tonally, fast five reached a level of absurdity where the audience had to laugh in disbelief. It also added anticipation for the next few entries, which the series had not seen before. “How will they break the laws of physics next?” So far, we’ve had Diesel flying out of a car to save his girlfriend, a vehicle jumping between skyscrapers, a nuclear submarine, and a literal space trip that came after years of fan demands for the series to go straight down. Science fiction route.

fast five not just the best movie of the saga, but it set a precedent and allowed the franchise to become one of the most popular in recent times. Although since then there have been both good and bad parties fast five turned an ordinary racing movie into a colossal blockbuster saga and developed a fan base devoted entirely to mythology.