2. Fast & Furious
The Fast & Furious franchise started with a crime thriller reminiscent of Point Break, and has slowly changed into one of Hollywood’s most successful series of blockbusters. The transformation of Fast & Furious is actually part of what makes it one of the best action movie franchises in the world, as it perfectly demonstrates how those involved understood what its audience wanted from the movies with each new instalment. In many ways, Fast & Furious is one of cinema’s greatest success stories.
With an ever-growing all-star cast, the franchise’s biggest appeal is its “family” dynamic. The idea of its central cast being a close-knit unit makes its stories all the more wholesome, with its huge (and increasingly ludicrous) action set pieces taking on a more emotional note as a result. Of course, the whole franchise has descended into high-octane nonsense, but the pure escapism on offer is more than enough to keep the Fast & Furious movies entertaining.
Much of the action remains vehicular, which is one of the key elements of the Fast & Furious franchise’s identity. However, outside of that, the movies have grown and adapted over the course of the series, and that’s ultimately why they’re so massively successful. The Fast & Furious movies are utterly ridiculous, but they still make up one of the best action movie franchises of all time.