10 Underrated Performances In Obvious Cash-Grab Movies

There's an argument to be made that each subsequent Fast & Furious movie which followed on from the unexpected hit that was 2001's The Fast and the Furious has been a clear and obvious cash-grab, with every sequel seeming to just take what worked before and dialling it up a few notches in the hope of bringing in more dollar.

In the end, this way of working eventually took the franchise from its humble street-racing roots to the realm of all-out blockbuster action spectacle thanks to the truly jaw-dropping success of every outing post-Fast Five.

It was this new-found action focus which eventually led to Jason Statham joining the likes of Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez for Furious 7 as Deckard Shaw. His typically no-nonsense turn as the big bad of that flick went down an absolute treat and opened the door for a return in Fate of the Furious. This is also where his unlikely chemistry with Johnson really flourished. Then, in 2019, the pair branched out from the original franchise and held together a Hobbs & Shaw spin-off which (surprise, surprise) performed extremely well at the box office.

Most people know exactly what they're going to get whenever they walk into a Fast movie, but the addition of Statham as Shaw has helped make the series feel less like a lazy cluster of cars and explosions and more like a hard-hitting thrill ride with a twinkle in its eye.