15 Years Ago Today, the “Best” Film of an 11-Movie Action Series Was Released

When millions of moviegoers fall in love with the characters and storyline of a film, Hollywood certainly takes notice, often following up the project with sequels. Some movie series are so profitable that, like the Energizer Bunny, they keep going and going. Heck, look at the Star Wars, Harry Potter, James Bond, andSpider-Man franchises. Well, one franchise in particular is celebrating a milestone — Fast & Furious.

15 years ago, on April 29, one of the installments in the popular action series hit theaters. According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics by and large loved it, as it sits with a 77% rating on the Tomatometer. However, it’s not the most beloved film in the Fast & Furious bunch, according to their reviews. That being said, critics don’t always get it right. 

Many loyal Fast & Furious fans would argue that the best installment in the series is the very one celebrating 15 years, and I tend to agree (with a caveat). 

‘Fast Five’ Turns 15 Years-Old

On April 29, 2011, Fast Five premiered in theaters to much applause from fans. It was Dwayne Johnson’s debut in the series as strongman Agent Luke Hobbs, a great addition to the franchise. Hobbs originally spends his time hunting down Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker), as Dominic escaped from a prison transport, and the duo was framed for murder. While Dominic and his team work to prove their innocence, Hobbs is left to determine what the truth is. 

Oh, and just to note from a box office perspective, it was a smash hit. On a budget of $125,000,000, Fast Five wound up grossing roughly  $626,140,012 worldwide. 

Is ‘Fast Five’ the Best of ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise?

I would say Fast Five is the greatest of the 10 projects released in the series. It was a turning point for the franchise, evolving the central characters from street racers to heist experts, and dare I say, heroes. The stakes from then on were raised higher. Just high enough before storylines teetered to slightly absurd. In subsequent films in the franchise, things get a bit carried away with characters going into space and submarines in the Arctic tundra. Plus, a lot of moments of Fast Five are subsequently revisited in pretty big ways in the later plotlines. 

Also, as already mentioned, Johnson as Hobbs was a great character addition and was needed. He helps balance out the heavy criminal element to the series with his “good guy” routine, and Johnson has proven himself to be a phenomenal action star. 

Now, if there was one Fast & Furious film that could compete with Fast Five, it would be 2015’s Furious 7. The storyline is solid and there’s plenty of action, but it being Walker’s final live appearance in the franchise due to his unfortunate passing, it’s an emotionally charged watch. That charge is amplified when Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” cues up. 

But what do you think? Which Fast & Furious is your favorite? Also, don’t forget Fast Forever, the eleventh and final chapter in the saga, debuts in 2028.

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