2. The Train Heist – Fast 5 (2011)
The transformation of the Fast & Furious movies is well-documented, but it certainly started somewhere. Most fans would single out Fast Five as the film that marked the start of its focus on vehicular heists. However, among many moments in the film, one stands out as the one that changed the franchise for good.
Early on, Dominic Toretto and his family of thrill-seeking crooks are tasked with stealing high-end cars from a moving train. Predictably, they’re double-crossed, and multiple DEA agents are killed by their employers. Dom and co. are blamed, eventually leading to them liberating their treacherous employer of his money in a daring high-octane heist.
Not only does the train heist set Agent Luke Hobbs on the tail of Toretto, but it also directly prompts the gang to engage in their first physics-defying robbery. Stealing an entire vault using modified cars is still a ridiculous high point for the franchise, but it never would have happened without the double-cross on the train. Honestly, we’re just hoping Toretto got the “family” discount on his fare.