While gearing up for the release of F9, there are certain movies from the Fast & Furious franchise that deserve a rewatch. The ninth movie in The Fast Saga is finally hitting theaters in June after various delays, primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. While fans have been patiently waiting two years for Justin Lin's new sequel, it has provided ample time for a franchise rewatch. Thankfully, time for eight full movies is unnecessary as there are only a handful of crucial installments that deserve a watch.
The franchise starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Conner, respectively, launched in 2001 with a tale about criminals and illegal street racing. After two sequels, the series from Universal made a shift by steering away from street racing and diving into heists, and the takedown of drug lords, corrupt businessmen, and terrorists. Despite having criminal records, Dom, Brian, and their team partnered with government agents like Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) for special missions, each more dangerous than the last. Two decades later, The Fast Saga is heading into its ninth movie while the franchise also has a spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw, and an animated spinoff, Netflix's Spy Racers. Following the release of F9, the saga will consist of two more movies before coming to an end.
F9 is putting Dom back at the center as he goes up against a familiar foe, who has the help of a family member: Jakob Toretto (John Cena). Dom having a brother was never revealed up to this point, and the movie will take the theme of family to a new level with the latest conflict surrounding brother versus brother. While F9 will ultimately welcome new elements, it will also be building from existing storylines. That said, here's every previous Fast & Furious movie that deserves a rewatch.
Viewers preparing for the events at the center of F9 should go all the way back to the beginning with 2001's The Fast and the Furious. The movie directed by Rob Cohen ultimately launched the epic franchise by introducing characters who would go on to lead a film series spanning decades. Of course, at the center is Dom, who is the glue that holds the franchise together. Though Dom wasn't in 2 Fast 2 Furious, nor was he a prominent figure in Tokyo Drift, Diesel was brought back for the fourth installment and has been the key piece of the puzzle ever since. While so much time has passed, it's essential to return to the first entry in The Fast Saga to get a refresher on Dom's origins.
F9 will heavily involve Dom's relationship with his younger brother, Jakob. In doing so, it could further retcon some of what's known regarding Dom's origins. The Fast and the Furious also introduced Dom's surviving family and closest figures in his life. Aside from his sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), the movie featured his future wife, Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez). Both women become vital characters in future installments, but Jakob, on the other hand, was never mentioned. F9 will surely fill in some of the gaps missing from The Fast Saga's first movie and how it could potentially change how viewers perceive Dom's origins.
When The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift first released in 2006, it could technically be categorized as a standalone installment. Aside from the brief cameo by Dom at the end of the movie, the plot shifts to a different setting with entirely new characters. Despite the death of Sung Kang's Han in the movie, he was brought back for future installments, retconning Tokyo Drift's place in the timeline. Seeing as Han is returning to F9 after missing out on the last two sequels, it's important to take a look back at his original Fast & Furious performance.
In addition to Han's return, F9 will be bringing back fellow Tokyo Drift characters like Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), Twinkie (Bow Wow), and Earl Hu (Jason Tobin). Without understanding their background, it would be difficult to gauge the significance of their involvement in Dom's new mission against Jakob. This will be the first time the trio joins Dom's crew while additionally presenting a major reunion for cast members who haven't starred together in a Fast & Furious movie for a decade and a half.
Considering F9 will involve Han and his return, it's important to return to the key moments of the character's arc. With Tokyo Drift being retconned, the movie's events were said to occur following the events of Fast & Furious 6. The movie centered on Dom's crew taking down Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), and by the end, Han returned to Tokyo after the death of his love, Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot). In Fast & Furious 6's mid-credits scene, it was revealed Han's death in Tokyo Drift was caused by Owen's brother, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). It's pivotal to go back over the turn of the events in connection to Han's presence in F9.
Since his death, diehard fans hoped there was a way to bring back Kang's character while subsequently starting a "Justice for Han" campaign. Viewers got their wish when the first F9 trailer confirmed Han's return, proving he didn't die in the fiery wreck depicted in Tokyo Drift and Fast & Furious 6. Still, it's imperative to experience the full range of emotions involving Han's journey ahead of his grand return to the franchise.
The last Fast & Furious movie to rewatch ahead of F9 would be the previous installment, The Fate of the Furious. Released in 2017, The Fate of the Furious marked the first movie in the saga not to include Brian O'Conner due to Paul Walker's death. While his absence was felt, the story propelled in a new direction by making Dom work alongside the primary antagonist, Cipher (Charlize Theron). With Cipher set to return in F9 after teaming up with Dom, it would be beneficial to get a reminder of Cipher's past with Dom, including how she was able to manipulate him.
The Fate of the Furious also featured integral moments involving Dom and the franchise's overall theme of family. The movie revealed Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky) had Dom's baby, but she was killed shortly after the revelation. As the lone surviving parent, his role will change moving forward, as will Letty's, who is married to Dom. With the major characters featured in The Fate of the Furious all set to return for F9, it's not a bad idea to get a reminder on their characters ahead of the new movie. A rewatch will only help viewers put the whole picture together in this already massive story.
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