I'll give the FAST AND FURIOUS series this much: I love the diversity of the cast. I also love how the series focuses on family (to an almost comical degree), since it is refreshing to see a franchise that doesn't have a protagonist bedding a different pretty lady each movie, even if there isn't anything inherently wrong with that. It's just nice to have variety.
However, I can't say that I've really been a fan of the franchise. I'm not much of a car person (as long as it runs I'm happy), so the first three or four never caught my attention, and even though I liked FAST 5 okay, it didn't blow me away either. I guess I just don't connect to its macho posturing shit, which seems to be the only mode every character seems to have (including the women). Of course the action in these films is awesome and badass, but if I don't care about the people behind the wheel, it's hard to care about the stunts.
This is all to say that I won't shed much of a tear when the series is set to end on its 10th entry. It seems it's a number that producer Neil Moritz, star Vin Diesel, and writer Chris Morgan all seem to agree on. There's a possibility it will go on of course (how many horror franchises have had false "Final Chapters"?), but as of right now that's the plan.
Here's what Moritz had to say in an exclusive interview with Collider:
Our plan is to go as quickly as we can under the idea that we gotta have a great story and be ready to go. And, honestly, we have some big themes and things we’re talking about, we’re just not there in terms of where exactly we’re gonna go yet. We kind of have the ending point of the franchise, but we don’t know the in-betweens yet…[but] the plan is to make two more movies [9 & 10]. All of us [are] kind of putting our heads together and coming together with something that we think is very special.
Now, I know I'm in the minority of people who aren't fans of these films, but I honestly am glad people are having fun with them. Movies can be about escapism, and this is escapism at its most pure (honestly, I'm kinda jealous it doesn't connect with me). But, for the majority of you who are fans of the franchise, how do you feel about it ending? Would you rather it go on forever – like JAMES BOND or the MCU – or would you rather stop when its ahead, like SEINFELD?
Either way, sound off below!
Meanwhile F8 OF THE FURIOUS is racing in theaters right now.