• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Every Fast & Furious Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

July 3, 2021 by Shaun Munro

6. The Fast and the Furious

By the time the fourth or fifth movie rolled around, the 2001 original seemed positively quaint. Viewed today, with F9 in the rear-view, it’s practically prehistoric.

Armed with a modest $38 million budget – compared to F9′s $200 million – a largely little-known cast and the workmanlike directorial hand of schlock peddler Rob Cohen, it’s easy to imagine a world where The Fast and the Furious was a one-and-done cult classic.

Yet it managed to tap into a zeitgeist that hadn’t been satisfactory represented on screen at the time – and really, not since – of petrolheads who love their cars as much as their flesh-and-blood romantic interests.

Stealing TV-VCR combos may seem laughable now, but the film’s emphasis on practical vehicular stunts – particularly driving cars directly underneath semi-trucks – and charmingly shameless reprise of the Point Break formula have lost little of their lustre. 20 years ago they made the film sheer catnip to audiences to the tune of $207.3 million worldwide.

There’s actually a lot less racing and action here than you probably remember, but Cohen and his trio of screenwriters – including filmmaker David Ayer – delve deep enough into the underground street racing subculture that few are likely to much care.

The colourful cast of characters doesn’t hurt; there may not be many truly great actors among the bunch, and the ridiculous dialogue doesn’t help, but the chemistry between them is ludicrously entertaining, leaving no scrap of melodramatic cud unchewed.

Despite the occasional over-incidence of goofy motion-blur CGI during the otherwise spectacular nitrous oxide driving sequences, this has aged far better than you’d reasonably anticipate and even holds up far better than several of the sequels. The deference towards more practical driving means the movie’s 4K transfer is eye-wateringly impressive at times, and exceptional sound design will give anyone’s surround sound system a healthy workout.

It’s an unmistakable product of the early 2000s with its of-the-moment soundtrack – including, most bizarrely, use of Dope’s “Debonaire” during a SWAT raid – and the cringe-worthy use of a certain homophobic slur will make contemporary audiences wince. However, most of the series’ well-trod hallmarks are already there in abundance; the BBQs, the familia, and yes, the Coronas.

Few will turn to this or any of the sequels for nuanced storytelling, but between its charming, impossibly attractive cast, stunning practical stunts, and unapologetic commitment to melodramatic cop-show froth, The Fast and the Furious holds up better than you might expect.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Click below to continue on to the next page…

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Filed Under: Movies, Reviews, Shaun Munro Tagged With: 2 Fast 2 Furious, Dwayne Johnson, F9, fast & furious, fast & Furious presents: hobbs & Saw, fast and furious, Fast and Furious 6, Fast and the Furious, Fast Five, Furious 7, Hobbs & Shaw, Kurt Russell, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Fate of the Furious, Vin Diesel

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Forgotten Horror Movie Gems From 25 Years Ago

Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

The Essential Cannon Films Scores

Cannon Films and the Search for Critical Acclaim

10 Great Modern Horror Classics You Have To See

Francis Ford Coppola In And Out Of The Wilderness

Not for the Faint of Heart: The Most Shocking Movies of All Time

The Shining at 45: The Story Behind Stanley Kubrick’s Psychological Horror Masterpiece

10 Alien Franchise Rip-Offs That Are Worth A Watch

20 Epic Car Chases That Will Drive You Wild

Top Stories:

Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

Street Fighter casts David Dastmalchian as M. Bison and Cody Rhodes as Guile

Whatever Happened to the Horror Icon?

The Rise of Paul Thomas Anderson: A Living Legend

Movie Review – Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

Movie Review – The Shrouds (2025)

Comic Book Preview – Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals

Back to the Future at 40: The Story Behind the Pop Culture Touchstone

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

13 Great Obscure Horror Movie Gems You Need to See

PM Entertainment and the Art of Rip-offs With Razzmatazz

Are we about to see The Rocknaissance?

The Bonkers Comedies of Andrew McCarthy

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket