Editorial: My Thoughts on the Fast and the Furious Franchise

So, as 2016 marches on, I'm getting ready to start my movie review year off. Financial problems have left me in a position to be unable to watch movies in the theaters currently, but such things will be rectified soon enough. However, I am going to take a minute to talk about a topic I quite like to talk about: the Fast and the Furious franchise.

Yes, since 2001, this franchise has been pumping out action-packed movies to the big screens featuring cars, heists, and an endearing love for the female buttocks. Every time a new Fast and the Furious movie comes along, it makes big cash, which is why they keep on making them, along with the very family-like nature of the cast and crew. Since main co-star Paul Walker's death in 2013, the popularity of the franchise has grown immensely, and just last year we had the seventh film in the franchise...a feat not many can claim, and while it's uncertain how the franchise will expand without Walker, there's no denying the fact that it will...somehow.

However, something that's always irritated me is the way that people respond to these movies. Basically you have three types of people: there are the car fanatics who have either grown up watching these movies or poke fun at them for how ridiculous they are, you have the people who actually generally like their near-bullshit antics, and then you have the people that largely pan the movies because they're what they refer to as, "stupid." I fall somewhere in the first two categories. Allow me to explain.

I was six years old when The Fast and the Furious came out in 2001. Being a huge car kid back then, it was a must see. Back then, times were simpler, and I was in love with the franchise. I didn't give a single shit that the car science in the movie didn't make sense. I didn't give a shit that the plot was poorly paced and the acting was horrible. I didn't give a shit about any of that, I just liked it, and as time went on, and I grew up, my love for these movies just never seemed to wane. Of course, being 20 now, I see the flaws in the first few installments, and I can say that Fast and Furious is just the worst in the whole set, but still...it doesn't seem to die. 

But that's not why I'm writing this editorial. I believe that these movies get a bad rap for no god damn reason. Okay, I get that there's just some people out there who don't like movies of this nature, and that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But too often, I see people say, "People watch and enjoy this mindless crap?" or, "People give shit to Michael Bay for overdoing it in the Transformers films, why do they like these movies?" and these people honestly just don't get it. The main difference between these films and the Transformers films is that the Transformers films take themselves too seriously. The FnF franchise does not, and while I don't really mind the Transformers films (another topic for another editorial), this franchise just does things better.

I've heard many times that these movies are made for the pure fun factor. They're not going to win Oscars, and they know it, but they still make them. When you go and watch Furious 8, you don't need to go in there expecting groundbreaking performances from the cast and crew, you don't need to expect a brilliant plot and emotional character development. What you go in to expect is cars, explosions, and asses, and that's what you get. If you try to overthink these movies, you will have a bad time. Every time I want to watch something that doesn't make my brain work too hard, something that when I watch it, the critic in me won't jump out and start criticizing every little thing, these are the type of movies that I go to.

Whether or not the FnF movies are a guilty pleasure, it's debatable, but I can assure you that they're not as bad as everyone says they are. And those who say they are that bad are just too critical and too expectant of some upper class of media like they're a snob who knows what's best, and to those types of audience members and critics, I give a firm and well-deserved fuck you. Not every movie deserves a relaxed atmosphere, but after eight movies, you really shouldn't expect anything else. Just grab that popcorn, and have a good time.

I'll be back with more reviews soon.