The originalTheFast and the Furiousis courageous, bold, and riveting. With every rev of the engine, you’re able to find friendship, loyalty, and fearlessness. The whole cast brings the story of street racing alive in a thrilling manner. Not one person is out of the element on-screen, making each scene more moving than the one before.
The film was released in 2001 and has been followed by nine franchise films, all of which have been getting better and better.The Fast and the Furiousmanaged to make over $207 million at the box office, while others likeThe Fate of the FuriousandFurious 7have reached over $1.2 billion.
Cast mates like Vin Diesel, the late Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez enact their roles with passion and experience. The story follows Dom Toretto and his street racing crew who heist cars on the freeway, handle obscene amounts of NOS, and challenge other cars to race as fast as each gear shift will let them.
Though the crew tries to fly under the radar as much as possible, their criminal activities haven’t gone unnoticed by the FBI. LAPD officer Brian O’ Conner is assigned to go undercoveras an elite street racerwho challenges his 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse for Toretto’s respect. When the race gets busted, O’Conner is the only person that shows up to help Toretto flee the police. He’s then invited into their crew and gains the trust of Toretto. Though he is doubling crossing Toretto, the two form a true friendship.
The moral of the story is that O’Conner owes Toretto a ten-second car — and by the end of the film, he has upheld his end of the deal made on their first night of racing together, but not before Toretto proves his father’s old 1970 Dodge Charger R/T can race a quarter-mile in 10 seconds and beat the train that was heading in.
Actors Who Almost Played Brian O’ Conner
Though Paul Walker likely would have had his role reprised after appearing in five of the franchise films before his passing, he almost didn’t get the role as Brian O’Conner. Director Rob Cohen looked into Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Eminem first. Though Walker’s character did have a CGI feature role inFurious 7,his role as Brian O’ Conner was never filled by another actor in the remaining films.
The first street race is undoubtedly the most iconic race of the series. It sets an intense tone for the films to follow and doesn’t disappoint in its awe factor. It’s where Toretto first meets O’Conner and creates an unforgettable first impression of whatto expect in the racesfrom the first to the last movie. What’s more, the race was extremely realistic. It had over 15,000 individual sound effects to enliven the thrill of racing and succeeded flawlessly.
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Paul Walker’s Birthplace Is Where the First Race Took Place
Before the first race inThe Fast and the Furious,Leon, who is part of Toretto’s crew, speaks into the radio so that the street racers can hear him. He says there’s “a one-eighty-seven in Glendale,” meaning the streets are clear. Glendale just happens to be the actual birthplace of Paul Walker, making for a peculiar and interesting happenstance.
Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez Dated Off-Screen
In the film, Dom Toretto and Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez, have a steamy relationship formed by similar interests and extreme loyalty to the crew. Off-screen, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez were also dating. The pair were together for the greater portion of filming before ending things but continued to have great chemistry on-screen.
Cast Members Who Didn’t Have Their Driver’s Licenses Off-Screen
Though Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, who plays Dom’s sister, Mia Toretto, didn’t have their driver’s licenses or learner permits, despite their legal age, they were featured racing in numerous scenes. Mia most iconically took O’Conner for a drive after their first date andLetty was reckless behind the wheel, in a talented way.
Filmmakers Made a Special Request
With the1,500 cars that participatedinThe Fast and the Furiousraces, the filmmakers were strict on showing off their beauty and differences. To ensure that the cars were the focal point, owners of the houses in the race scenes were asked to paint their houses a muted color. Additionally, uncredited street people brought their cars to make the car scenes larger in size and look like more of a spectacle.
A Sentimental Moment
The final race was not only fueled by double the NOS, but it also had emotion behind it, as Toretto was racing his late father’s car against O’Conner. At the beginning of the film, Toretto tells O’Conner, “It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning’s winning.” Though Toretto was expected to win the race, O’Conner actually beat him by a couple of inches. Toretto crashed the car. So before the police could catch Toretto, O’Conner saves him again by finally giving him his winning ten-second car.
Saved by the Bell Actors Who Were Almost Cast
Director Rob Cohen essentially had everyone in mind for the cast of the film except who was eventually cast in it. His initial vision was to haveSaved by the Bellcast mates Mario Lopez as Dom Toretto, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Brian, and Dustin Diamond as Jesse, who was part of Toretto’s crew, shot, and killed. However, the fear of having viewers mix up the relatability between the 1989 sitcom and the rip-roaring franchise made studio executives encourage Cohen to change his mind.
Related:Fast and Furious: The 10 Most Badass Female Characters in the Franchise, Ranked
Ludacris Debuted in the First Film
Though Ludacris wasn’t physically part of the first franchise film,his popular rap songArea Codescan be heard playing at the after-party when the first race is over. Ludacris would later become a part of the Toretto andFuriousfamily in the first sequel2 Fast 2 Furious.His character Tej began his street career as a garage owner and street race organizer, but being a part of Toretto’s crew gave him a lift in the culture. His role eventually took on hacking, safecracking, and incredible street skills. He would then go on to work in seven of the franchise films.
Let’s Talk Fast Cars
From the make of the cars to the color of the houses in the frame, the street race at the beginning of the film introduces the concept of the franchise meticulously.It’s a 10-second span over a quarter-mile strip. However, the film has the race last almost two minutes on-screen. What’s more, the fastest car to be able to accomplish a quarter mile in under 10 seconds is the Pininfarina Battista, which can make it in 8.55 seconds and the fastest overall street racing car is the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport.
As the storyline progresses throughout the ten-film franchise, there are plenty of new actors who become part of the cast. There’s Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, and Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw. There are both foreign and American-made cars that send shock waves with their NOS power and the races get wilder and even faster. The latest film,Fast X,was released this past May and there are plans for a second part final ending to the saga as well. So sit back and put on your seatbelts, because Dom Toretto and his crew aren’t finished.
