So when exactly did this franchise get great? I remember a time when credible people couldn't stop screaming about how awesome Fast Five, I think, was, and I resolved to eventually get on the furiouswagon. Tokyo Drift was garbage, I know that much.

You beat me by 6 hrs.... great trailer

*promote

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Sunday, November 2nd, 2014 4:17am PST - promote requested by Sarzy.

Yeah, I don't get this franchise either.

I saw the first one on TV and it was only mildly terrible.
The second one was the only movie I hadn't watched 8 hours into a 14 hour flight. It was extremely terrible. Switched it off after 20 mins.
Haven't bothered with any of the others.

What is there to get? Its an action movie with cars and gadgets and girls. Its like an old bond movie.

@gorillaman @ChaosEngine

Fast & Furious (which is part 4) was the first step in the right direction as the first in the series to start a transition, although only marginally, out of a fun-but-really-stupid category of action flick. Tokyo Drift was definitely the worst of them. (I'm just hoping the tie-in with part 7 and the return of Lucas Black will somehow make up for its existence; introducing us to Han's back story in Fast Five helped.)

Fast Five was the first good flick on its upswing toward world domination because it was much less dumb, but had a much richer story, better characters, incredible practical effects, a huge, diverse cast, and awesome international settings. This was the first time it was much more kick-ass than pure roll-your-eyes-and-sigh maximum-dumb-shitatude accompanying the action.

Fast & Furious 6 continued to prove they were onto a winning formula and continued that trend. (However, there's a fucking-stupid ~9 minute fight on an airplane WHILE it is driving at near-takeoff speeds on a runway. I did some calculations the last time I watched it and remember thinking they had to be on like a 20-mile-long runway. Come on guys, it's called editing; or at least have some phony excuse for that bullshitestry. But I digress.)

One of the most compelling parts of both parts 5 and 6 were some kick-ass (though of course impossible) practical stunt sequences that may have been the first I've seen as a fully-grown man to earn me a visceral ear-to-ear grin and cause me to unintentionally, audibly say "Holy shit!" in the movie theater.

Can't wait for part 7 and I hope they are able to just keep churning them out, despite the unfortunate loss of Paul Walker because these are some seriously ass-kicking action flicks.

First-rate explanation, thanks lucky. I've got some catching up to do.

Okay, it does look better than the first one, but so do half my bowel movements (you don't want to know about the other half... I should really eat better).