How many Hollywood franchises can say they’ve had a successful run? Of course, Marvel has the throne and the Rocky franchise along with Star Wars has its place cemented, but who would’ve thought a movie about cars would be so huge? The Fast & Furious franchise is so big that is has spawned nine movies, including a spin-off in Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw.
Looking back over the films, which scenes stands out the most as the best ever shot? While car chases and explosions have been the franchises’ calling card from the beginning, there are other factors that come into play.
Here are the top 10 scenes from Fast & Furious franchise, ranked
RELAED: Our 10 Biggest Unanswered Questions After Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
This Is Brazil
With Hobbs hot on their trail, the crew decided to play a little game of catch and mouse. Hobbs and his team made a move. As they approached, Hobbs told Dom he was there to take them in. Dom, as direct as ever said; I don’t fell like I’m under arrest".
What made this scene so special to the franchise was the showdown between Dom and Hobbs. It was their real first face-off and it let Hobbs know that he was in a different league now. Dom and his team were not the normal criminals he was used to chasing. ‘This is Brazil" was a reintroduction to The Family.
Dom’s American Muscle
A small scene that lasted only a few seconds but it summed out the first Fast & Furious beautifully. While most of the cast focused on the Subaru’s and Toyota’s, it was Dom who kept his secret machine hidden until the time was just right. As he once told Brian; “it scares me”. When Brian pulled up to Dom at the intersection, Dom pointed out the quarter-mile mark. This was the moment in which Dom’s character was defined.
When the light hit green, the race for freedom was on. But Dom’s front wheels went airborne which proved how different he was from the rest of the cast.
The Subway Fight
The car chases and explosions are great but still, it’s the hand-to-hand combat that can get the adrenaline going. In Fast & Furious 4, we were given a double dose of that in a five-minute stretch. Normally, Brian or Dom is doing most of the fighting, but in this scene, the great action was provided by Letty, Roman, and Han.
In hot pursuit of Shaw’s guys, Roman and Han followed their suspect in a subway while Letty was leading her pursuer there as well. In both scenes, there were some great fighting scenes. Letty’s was more barbaric while Roman’s and Han’s had more comedy to it. But in the end, it was great seeing this action from characters other than the normal ones.
Brain and Dom’s First Race
How could the first time they raced not be included in this list? Yes, Brain lost but that one scene is why their friendship throughout remained so strong. In that loss, Brian learned a valuable lesson and that may be the reason why he always straddled that fine line between being a cop and joining forces with Dom.
That was a lesson the hot-headed and cocky Brian needed, Not the cop Brian, but the wannabe street racer. As he told Dom after the race: “I almost had you”. Dom replied; “You almost had me? You never had me. You never had your car”.
The Team Breaks Dom Out Of Prison
At the end of Fast & Furious 4, Dom is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole. While getting on the bus, the look of defeat is etched across his face with his prison orange jumpsuit on. But we know it can’t end like this. As Dom is lost in deep thought, he hears the engine soft what could only be supped up cars, he lets out a smirk and knows his team is there.
Brian, Mia, Tego, and Rico pulled off an elaborate escape and Dom is a free man. Still wanted but free to make a run for it. The scene ties everything together from the first Fast & Furious. The trust Dom and Brian had to the way it was broken and how they regained their brotherhood again. A scene like this is why the ending for Fast 7 was so hard to watch.
The Tunnel Chase
Fast & Furious is called that for a reason. This scene in Fast & Furious 4 was one of the most intense car chases ever shot. This was more than catching the bad guys, this scene was about revenge. Dom wanted revenge for Letty’s death and Brian, still a cop at the time wanted to bring Braga into custody. What transpired may have been the best car chase in F&F history.
With Braga nestled in Brian’s car and Dom right behind him, the chase was on. Racing through the desert with at least 12 cars on their trail, the two friends did what they do best. Once they hit the tunnel, it was all skill and speed from there. Going over 100 mph each, there was sure to be some causalities along the way. But for Brian and Dom, dying was not an option
Brain and Dom Reconnect
To catch Braga, both Dom and Brian were forced to go undercover. It was their first official face-to-face meeting since Brian gave Dom the keys to his car and let him go. With Braga in the middle, Brian and Dom traded insults and slight jabs at each other like only they can.
Dom would go on to tell Brain that if he sees cops’ flashing lights, he will just keep going. Dom made it clear that he’s not going back to prison and just threw down a challenge to Brian. The classic and funny line in the scenes would be Braga asking if they knew each other on which Dom replied; “he used to date my sister”.
The Tank
“They got a tank”. When Tej spoke those words in the trailer, we knew we were in store for a classic scene. While many will mention the highway chase in Matrix: Reloaded, Fast & Furious 6 should be ranked up there with the best. And the scene where Dom saves Letty, although cheesy, it was a pivotal moment for their reconnection as well.
Plenty of collisions and funny moments from the characters. And while the outcome was predictable, the scene itself was well thought out and executed to perfection. And the tank, how many times have we seen a tank on a highway?
Dom’s Appearance In Tokyo Drift
After the first Fast & Furious, the rumors began to swirl that this was it for the cast. With Vin Diesel not sure if he would return, the franchise tried their hands on a new star. Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift not only follows the driving of Sean but Han as well. Han is one of Dom’s closest friends.
The scene was set but no one expected such a reveal. In the final scene, Sean was told a guy wanted to race and that he was a friend of Han’s. As Sean pulled up to the starting line, Dom was waiting in his car. This scene was monumental as it sparked the question if he was coming back or just paying a final tribute to the franchise.
One Last Race
There was only one way Fast & Furious could say goodbye to Brain. After his death, fans were worried about how he would be written out of the franchise. The answer, the same way he was introduced to us. With Brian and Mia playing with their son by the ocean, Dom saw enough and decided to leave without saying his final goodbye.
As Dom came to a halt in the road, Brian pulled up to him and the last race was on. But it wasn’t as high stakes as their first. This was more of a brother to brother, we’ll see each other again type of race. There were no winners and for fans, it was the most heartbreaking moment in the history of Fast & Furious.
