16. The Fast And The Furious (2001-2013)
Universal PicturesHas there ever been a blockbuster franchise with a history as unique as the Fast and the Furious? The first outing, based on a magazine article, was essentially Point Break in the street racing world, with two poor sequels effectively killing the franchise before the return of the original cast for part four saw the series hit new commercial heights. A tonal shift to full-blown action blockbuster has now seen the franchise become the biggest earner in the history of Universal Studios with a hefty $2.38bn. The Fast and the Furious is an entertaining genre effort that overcomes its cliched characters by delivering some crunching car chases, wearing its B-movie influences on its sleeve. The horribly-titled 2 Fast 2 Furious was a major step backwards, while Tokyo Drift is mostly a Fast and Furious flick in name only, a Tokyo-set effort that is notable for introducing Justin Lin to the franchise more than anything else. The return of the original stars and a more action-orientated tone saw Fast and Furious become the biggest earner yet, earning more in its domestic opening weekend than Tokyo Drift did during its entire run. Dwayne Johnson was added to the mix for parts five and six, with the end result being two of the most brilliantly OTT and purely entertaining action movies in recent memory, establishing Justin Lin as one of the best action directors working today. Originally scheduled for this year, the tragic death of star Paul Walker delayed the James Wan-directed seventh installment, which will look to be a fitting epitaph to the late actor's career-defining role as Brian O'Conner.