The Success of F&F Franchise

Right now I'm on a bus route to Canada, and the first on board movie that was selected was Fast and Furious 7. For those who don't know, the 7th installment is meant to hearken to classic cinema in terms of Seven Samarai and the American remake, The Magnificent Seven. And a few months ago, Vin Diesel confirmed that there would indeed be an 8th installment in spite of the fact that Paul Walker died before 7 was completed, causing his brothers to be hired as standins.

The question is, what has made the series so successful?

The first answer is obvious. If one goes to see just 7 alone, there can be no doubt that there is non-stop action. Viewing other reactions (mostly mouths agape), this movie qualifies as a bona-fide edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. Even as a spectator, the adrenaline is pumping from the before the credits start.

But there's more to the saga than pulse-pumping action:

• Eye candy: there is something for every one in this movie. Men, there is no shortage of bikini-clad, tattoo-sporting chicks waving flags and just walking. As Tyrese stated in 2 Fast 2 Furious, "It's a ho-asis up in here!" Add to that Jordana Brewster (Mia) and Michelle Rodriguez (Leti), who also happens to be the ride-or-die racer chick and an array of other strong female leads. And ladies, you were not forgotten. If anything, as the franchise grew, so did the penchant for eye candy for the ladies. It started off with just Vin and Paul (and the guy who played Vince and the 4th hottie that was also originally part of the crew but never made it past the first). Then Tyrese and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Cole Hauser (bad guy in 2 Fast), Han. And who can forget about the magic of adding The Rock to the franchise? Then for 7, throw in Jason Statham and Djamon Hansou, and it's an overload of man candy! There are even honorable cameos in several of the series: Michael Ealy anyone?
• The cars: there is a subversive human love for speed. One of the most admired animals in the wild is the cheetah. And it's no different in the Fast franchise, which truly turns the vehicles into characters. I bet anyone can remember at least 5 from any given movie. And they have speaking roles. The hum of the engine as they gear up for a race. The strong leading man of the American muscle car is prominently featured in every film in the series.
• The exotic locales: LA, Tokyo, Brazil, London, the Dominican Republic, Dubai--you name it and F&F has been there. Not only are they in the movies, but like the cars, they become more than sets, but characters. Who can forget the parkour chase on the tin roofs of Brazil? Or the 3-building crash in Dubai?
• The corny one-liners: between Tyrese, Luda, and most classicly The Roc, the one liners, while crazy corny "Woman, I am the back up" (The Rock, F&F7), keep the movie franchise from taking itself too seriously, which is great. The first in the series was probably the heaviest in gravitas, but the subsequent ones brought a sublime mixture of action, adventure, and humor. The characters had undeniable chemistry, regardless of the combination.
• Family: throughout the franchise is that running theme of family not just being blood bonds but those that stay by your side for the ride. Nothing brings this concept of Whiz Khalifa's song that's featured at the end: "how can we not talk about family when family is all we've got." This sense of family was not just apparent in the film, but with the actors in real life. Even before Paul's death, he was brother to Vin, Tyrese, and Ludacris. Vin even named his latest daughter Paula in honor of Paul.

A side note about Paul: besides him being one of my crushes, he and I share the same DoB, so his death was especially shattering for me because of his twin birth. It brings the saga of mortality to a reality. The most that we can hope for is that we die like we live. Here was this personable man who created a foundation when he saw a need in disaster-ravaged areas. And he dies, not as the driver, but the passenger of his own fate. God took his angel back. And his family, both blood and his movie family, will miss him immensely.