So, let's move on to the grand finale - the ranking:

9) F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
8) Fast & Furious (2009)
7) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
6) The Fate of the Furious (2017)
5) 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
4) Furious 7 (2015)
3) The Fast and the Furious (2001)
2) Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
1) Fast Five (2011)

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F9: The Fast Saga (2021)

The entire movie from start to finish is just dumb.

The whole thing feels like a desperate attempt to establish a saga akin to Marvel's Infinity Saga. However, the source material doesn't provide a solid foundation for this. After all, at its core, this was always about wannabe-masculine car posers and brash machos - in the most mundane sense: about driving cars - and not about cosmic superheroes with tremendous superpowers.

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The Fate of the Furious (2017)

This time F. Gary Gray is in the director's chair, but that's not the reason the franchise is showing real signs of wear and tear with this installment. Mostly to blame is the fixation on Dom and his family problems.

In addition, much of the action isn't just "dumb but good" anymore, it's just "dumb". I didn't expect the series without Paul Walker to go downhill so quickly.

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Furious 7 (2015)

James Wan, probably best known for the Saw series, directed the farewell to Paul Walker, who tragically died in a car accident. The result is solid and surprisingly emotional in the end.

However, the dynamic between Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson is quite humorous; probably the reason for the spin-off "Hobbs & Shaw" (though it didn't hit the mark).

So, all in all, there's lots of loud action and lots of nonsense. Harmless fun.

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Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

The trend towards handmade action scenes continues, even though realism is finally thrown overboard here. But that doesn't detract from the fun, as the amount of things that explode and get destroyed is quite remarkable. The family story, which is apparently highly valued (as the word "family" probably makes up 60% of the dialogue), is actually just boring.

Popcorn cinema to switch off your brain and test your speakers.

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Fast Five (2011)

I didn't expect Justin Lin to rectify the flaws of the predecessor and deliver a solid action-heist flick that feels like a macho version of the Ocean's series. Thanks to mainly practical effects, the action scenes are really good. What also works in the film's favor is a certain tongue-in-cheek attitude towards its own exaggerated machismo, and the fact that the humor generally hits the mark.

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The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

The basic idea is quite interesting: An American car enthusiast dives into the Japanese drift scene. However, the chemistry feels off to me. For example, Sean Boswell seems too old to play a 17-year-old. On the other hand, Sung Kang shines as Han. In addition, the drift scenes are really good and the cameos of various Japanese acting giants add charm.

This marks Justin Lin's series debut as director.

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2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Again, the theme of friendship is highly emphasized - as is the hyper-masculine bravado. Supposedly, some scenes were improvised - mainly the comedic ones, but the humor didn't hit for me. On a positive note, the debut of characters by Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris and the movie's vibrant style are highlights.

The scene with the jump onto the boat gives a first taste of the complete departure from reality in the later films.

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As threatened, we've started with the Fast & Furious franchise and have now seen the first three films. Here are the first three mini-reviews:

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

In every way, a product of its time. I liked the movie back then and the story about friendship still holds up. However, nostalgia can mislead: Many action sequences seem dated with an almost obscene amount cuts. Moreover, the hyper-masculine posturing is just ridiculous.

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Beware! The next series I'm going to tackle for #MossysMovieRankings will be the Fast&Furious franchise. Seems to be a trip down nostalgia lane becoming more ridiculous with every installment; including an overuse of the word "family".

1) The Fast and the Furious (2001)
2) 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
3) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
4) Fast & Furious (2009)
5) Fast Five (2011)
6) Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
7) Furious 7 (2015)
8) The Fate of the Furious (2017)
9) F9: The Fast Saga (2021)

Here my ranking of the #MissionImpossible series from worst to best:

6) Mission: Impossible II (2000)
5) Mission: Impossible (1996)
4) Mission: Impossible III (2006)
3) Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
2) Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
1) Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

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Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

The latest film in the series raises the bar in every aspect. Some of the action sequences are simply breathtaking, especially considering Tom Cruise did all his own stunts.

However, in my opinion, sometimes it's a bit too much. Particularly towards the end, it gets a bit long. Still, it's a really good action film.

Looking forward to the next parts. Now, to my ranking:

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Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Basically the same mix that worked so well in the predecessor. However, in my opinion, the staging by Christopher McQuarrie is even more dynamic and intense.
The sequences in the opera or in the SCIF followed by a chase are just two examples (just compare the motorcycle scenes in this film with those in the second part!).

Moreover, Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris are two exciting additions to the cast.

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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

More pace, more spectacle, more humor. Add to that cool gadgets and some fantastic stunts. The mix simply works perfectly in this case.

Before Christopher McQuarrie took over directing for the following films, Brad Bird made his live-action directing debut with this film. Pretty well done.

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Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Better in every respect than its predecessor. To illustrate, here are three points:

1. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a really good villain.
2. The entire production (locations, continuity, dialogues, etc.) is more cohesive.
3. A touch of humor really benefits this and the subsequent films.

It's quite remarkable that they handed J.J. Abrams 150 million dollars for his first feature film. It certainly paid off in the end.

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Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Sadly not good. Annoying characters do illogical things, sometimes without any connection. According to reports, it's likely due to the fact that John Woo's first cut was 3.5 hours long, which was way too long for Paramount, resulting in a radical cut down to two hours.

At least Limp Bizkit contributed a snazzy cover version of the original theme by Lalo Schifrin to the soundtrack with "Take A Look Around".

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Soon there will be new content for #MossysMovieRankings: We are starting with the #MissionImpossible series today.
Particularly excited about the action scenes and tech gadgets over the years, and whether the second part is as bad as I remember it.

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1st Place: Godzilla

For me, this is an all-around great monster movie. Director Gareth Edwards knew how to stage the monsters perfectly. Often from the perspective of tiny humans, they appear as forces of nature to which one is at the mercy. Additionally, the tension arc works really well.

Another #MCU-Funfact: In this movie, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen play a married couple. A year later, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it's only enough for siblings. 😀

(5/5)
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2nd Place: Godzilla vs. Kong

The movie is incredibly colorful and really packs a punch in the Kaijū sequences. Of the two storylines, only the one with Millie Bobby Brown remains unlikable. The other, centered around Kong, is also blunt but more interesting.

Director Adam Wingard seems to be really into the madness, and the movie feels more coherent and less arbitrary than its predecessor. Plus, I absolutely love the colorful look, which really pops on the OLED-TV.

(4/5)
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3rd Place: Kong: Skull Island

This film stands out from the others in the series because it takes place 40 years before the others. The mix of Vietnam War movie elements and adventure film creates a unique atmosphere. As a setup for the later films, it's good and the soundtrack is decent, but it also has its slow moments here and there, and I miss the excessive destruction scenes a bit. 😅

#MCU-Funfact: Captain Marvel and Loki fly with Nick Fury to an island.

(3/5)
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