Over the last 22 years, the Fast & Furious franchise has captivated audiences worldwide with its high-octane car chases, adrenaline-pumping stunts, and a central theme of the importance of family all leading up to Fast 10. As the series progressed, the movies evolved in scale and ambition, pushing the boundaries of the genre and delivering bigger stunts and higher stakes with each installment. With nine core films and one spin-off, there can be a lot to remember before you head to the theater for Fast 10. We have you covered with a Fast Recap of the Fast & Furious franchise.
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The Fast and the Furious (2001)
The film that started it all, before Fast 10 was even a thought, The Fast and the Furious introduces the audience to the world of illegal street racing in Los Angeles. Undercover cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) infiltrates Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) crew to investigate a series of truck hijackings. Fans are introduced to Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Mia (Jordana Brewster), and Vince (Matt Schulze) who will all make appearances throughout the franchise. Themes of loyalty, honor, and the importance of found family are explored while incorporating death-defying stunts, setting the foundation for the series.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
In this sequel, O’Conner is now a fugitive from the law after letting Toretto go after their race in The Fast and the Furious. He teams up with his childhood friend Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) to take down a drug lord in Miami to clear his name with the FBI. The movie also introduces Tej Parker (Ludacris), who becomes a recurring character in later films. Taking on a drug lord, the Fast Franchise ups the ante on the criminal element as play. The bond between Brian and Roman is emphasized, reinforcing the theme of friendship as a form of family.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
This movie takes a slight departure from the main storyline and follows high school student Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) as he moves to Tokyo and becomes involved in the world of drift racing and its connections to the Yakuza. This film sets the stage for future connections within the series as it chronologically takes place between the events of the sixth and seventh movies. In addition to featuring Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang), Dominic Toretto makes a cameo appearance at the end of the movie, setting up the events of later films. Tokyo Drift explores the importance of mentorship and learning from past mistakes.
Fast & Furious (2009)
On the run from the events of the first film, Dom and his crew consisting of Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Han (Sung Kang), Tego Leo (Tego Calderón), Rico Santos (Don Omar), hijack fuel tankers in the Dominican Republic. Brian, now working as an FBI agent, reunites with Dom and his crew to take down a dangerous drug lord whose liaison includes Giselle (Gal Gadot). This time it’s personal as the film’s villain is responsible for the death of Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). The theme of family becomes even more prominent as Dom’s sister Mia plays a more prominent role in uncovering the plot surrounding Letty’s death. Here the bonds of loyalty are tested like never before as Brian has more to do with Letty’s death than he initially leads on.
Fast Five (2011)
After breaking out Dom from his potential prison sentence, Brian, Mia, and Dom find themselves on the run in Rio de Janeiro. The trio is joined by Vince from the original film on a job to steal three cars from a train being protected by the DEA. After being framed for the job and the deaths of DEA agents by a Brazilian drug lord, the US government send relentless federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to pursue the family.
In an effort to start a new life away from the reach of the US government, the family attempts to perform their biggest heist yet by stealing $100 million from the drug lord who framed them. To complete the heist, Fast Five brings together major characters from previous films including Han, Roman, Tej, Gisele, Leo, and Santos. The movie elevates the action and introduces a shift towards more elaborate stunts and dips its toes into government/spy espionage which is important for future films. Further, introducing a larger ensemble cast highlights the strength of the found family’s bonds.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Dom and his crew, now living as fugitives, are offered amnesty in exchange for helping Luke Hobbs and the US government. The family faces off against a former British Special Forces soldier Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) who is using a group of highly skilled mercenaries to steal military technology that could reshape the world order. The mercenaries they face serve as a reflection of their own team with the same muscle, brain power, technology, and driving skills making them the toughest challenge to date. Their mission becomes even more complicated when it comes to light that Letty, thought to be killed in the event of Fast & Furious is working with Shaw.
Fast & Furious 6 takes the franchise firmly into the spy thriller genre with the full ensemble cast at full strength and stakes elevated to a global scale with Shaw attempting to steal the Nightshade device that can shut down the power of any device. Themes of redemption and the importance of staying true to one’s values are explored, while the action reaches new heights as the stunts. In the mid-credit scene, the events of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift are brought back into the fold with Owen’s brother Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) being responsible for Han’s death.
Furious 7 (2015)
In Furious 7, the story takes an emotional turn as the family faces the loss of their beloved member, Han. With not much time to mourn, they must confront Deckard Shaw who is seeking revenge for his brother’s death. Like its two predecessors, the film boasts its full ensemble to take on Shaw. Continuing with the spy thriller motif, the family teams up with government agent Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), to find Shaw and stop God’s Eye, an advanced surveillance program, from falling into the wrong hands. The film features one of the most extravagant and practical stunt sequences in the franchise involving cars skydiving out of a plane.
Furious 7 sees the latest member of the family join the crew, Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). More importantly, the film is notable for being the final film featuring Paul Walker, who tragically died during production. Many of the scenes featured Paul’s brothers Cody and Caleb Walker who both stepped in to help finish their brother’s scenes as Brian O’Conner in the movie. The theme of resilience in the face of tragedy is explored, showcasing the unbreakable bond of the family for not only the crew but the adversaries they face.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
The Fate of the Furious explores how unbreakable that bond of family is as Dom is coerced into betraying his crew by cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron). It is revealed that Cipher was behind the plot to steal the Nightshade in Fast & Furious 6 and God’s Eye in Furious 7. The crew must work together to bring Dom back and stop Cipher’s destructive plans which include taking control of nuclear weapons.
The film delves into the theme of trust, highlighting the importance of standing by your family even in the most challenging circumstances. This is explored in a multitude of ways from Dom having to work with Cipher against his family to protect the son he never knew about to the family having to work with Deckard Shaw even after the events of the Furious 7. The movie continues to push boundaries with larger-scale action sequences, including an entire sequence featuring a submarine car chase on ice, and introduces new characters.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Fast 10 is actually the 11th film in the franchise. While it doesn’t have much to do with the main continuity of the Fast Franchise, it is important to mention the attempt at a spin-off franchise. Continuing their tremendous rivalry from the previous films, Hobbs and Deckard Shaw team up to take down a cyber-genetically enhanced terrorist named Brixton Lore (Idris Elba). Brixton possesses a deadly virus that could wipe out humanity. The duo embarks on a globe-trotting mission, facing high-octane action and thrilling encounters as they try to save the world.
Throughout the film, their clashing personalities and constant banter provide humorous moments while also exploring themes of trust and the meaning of family. Hobbs reconnects with his estranged Samoan family, highlighting the importance of familial bonds rooted in the franchise. Further, the film begins to take the franchise from a spy thriller to a borderline superhero franchise with intense action sequences and showcases the characters’ unique fighting skills.
F9 (2021)
At the start of F9, Dom and Letty have retired from their former lives to a farm with their son Brian. However, when Dom’s long-lost brother, Jakob (John Cena), emerges as a new threat, Dom must confront his past to save the world from a global catastrophe. Jakob, a skilled assassin and master thief, has allied himself with the cyberterrorist Cipher as she continues her quest to bring forth a new world order. The film sees the stunts and action sequences dialed up yet again as the franchise finally makes it to space. I mean, how much bigger can you even go in Fast 10?
Throughout the film, Dom’s past is explored as the tragedy surrounding his father’s death, which is mentioned in the first film, is highlighted. Without the presence of Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, and Jason Statham, the film does lose some of that ensemble feel, but it does see the return of Sung Kang as Han who was thought to be dead by the hand of Deckard Shaw in Tokyo Drift. Despite missing key members of the franchise, the movie delves into the theme of legacy and the power of forgiveness while never losing sight of the core value of family that has defined the Fast and Furious franchise. Throughout the film, Dom’s past is explored as the tragedy surrounding his father’s death, which is mentioned in the first film, is highlighted.
From robbing semi trucks for VCRs to taking a Pontiac Fiero to space, the Fast & Furious franchise has come a long way all the way to Fast 10. Taking a look back, that progression strangely makes sense. Each film has raised the stakes, with bigger and more daring sequences than the last. However, at its core, the franchise has always been about the theme of family, with the characters facing personal challenges while also supporting each other. Fast 10 promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of pushing the boundaries of the action genre. Fans can anticipate a new enemy to face, thrilling car chases, intense action sequences, and emotional moments that celebrate the enduring bonds.
Fast x is in theaters nationwide May 19, 2023.
