The Fast and Furious franchise started as a fun racing and crime heist movie with cool cars, but it has since evolved into something more ridiculous entirely. From traveling to space in a jacked-up car to racing with trains traveling at full speed, this franchise continues to get comically absurd with its stunts. Some of these scenes toe the line between reality and fantasy.
1. Abu Dhabi Building Jump
Right before the iconic building jump, Toretto has already defied all laws of physics and gravity by lifting a 3,000-pound car with ease. This is peak superhuman strength on display, as there is no human alive that strong.
Then, he proceeds to drive that car through a party and out the glass window of the building, located over 100 floors in the sky. As he flies through the air and lands in another building, he does this all over again.
Needless to say, this wouldn’t fly in real life. Gravity would take you down immediately, and you would end up worse than dead. But hey, in the Fast and Furious franchise, cars do fly, and you’ll get more of these flying cars as we go along.
2. Swinging a Car off a Cliff
Another scene that defies all the scientific laws of nature. This time, all we have is a rope and a dream. As Dom drives towards a cliff with a destroyed bridge with one rope holding it together, it miraculously latches onto one of his tires, and they swing from the cliff to a lower one.
Yes, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. Especially since the force of the jump and the car’s weight with the two characters could not be sustained by that one piece of rope or wire. For it to swing with ease while attached to only one tire is another miracle. Perhaps the team was highly inspired by Spiderman swinging around to have come up with this stunt.
Additionally, the rough landing where the car flips multiple times while its occupants come out without a scratch is another ridiculous scene.
3. The Boys in Space
As much as this scene is meant to be comedic and hilarious, with the duo Tej and Roman getting launched into space and floating in a car, you can’t help but wonder how they are still alive. Let me be clear: the two are in a modified car, wearing old customized astronaut suits in space. We even get a look at planet Earth for a bit there.
Even in the movie, the two are afraid that the plan isn’t going to work, and truthfully, it wouldn’t have if they attempted it in real life. They would die of suffocation or burn to a crisp even before they break out of the planet’s ozone layer. Fans have always joked about the franchise eventually going into space, and they made it a reality—mad lads.
Also, how did they come back to Earth after this? The rocket boosters equipped on their modified car were released into space. How did they survive all this, going to space and returning in one piece? The world will never know.
4. Catastrophic Bank Vault Chase
Dragging a fortified bank vault across the city, crashing into anything and everything while simultaneously avoiding civilians, seems ridiculous. Well, not for the Fast and Furious boys. This time, they elevate the heist scene by stealing the entire vault rather than breaking into it like everyone else.
Furthermore, the vault is attached to two cars with cables, and as they try to escape the corrupted police, some expert maneuvering and coordination need to be done between the characters. It’s as ridiculous as it is thrilling, especially with the destruction left behind.
However, you can’t help but admire the thought process and coordination the entire Fast and Furious team has to bring something like this to life. It could almost pass for a feasible attempt in real life.
5. Soccer With a Bomb in Rome
Following the heels of the bank vault chase, we have a giant bomb let loose in the streets of Rome and the villain making things hell for the team. The whole idea is to ensure that the bomb does not explode in the heart of the city or anywhere near civilians.
Yet, no matter how you see it, the situation is as ridiculous as it comes. Bombs are typically depicted as objects you should handle carefully, as the slightest movement would set them off. That is not the case this time. In fact, at one point, the bomb is on fire, and it still does not detonate. Plus, the bomb being smacked around like a bad football game leads to more ruins, smashed cars, and destroyed buildings.
Did we mention that Dom’s car does not seem to retain much damage at all? Compared to the destruction the bomb inflicted as it crashed into numerous buildings and structures, Dom’s car seems invincible. As usual, the leading man in the Fast and Furious franchise never gets hurt.
6. Full-speed Train Race
No matter how you see it, there’s no way a car could beat a train moving at full speed. But Dom and Brian decide that they will take their chances and have a go at it anyway. Lucky for them, plot armor is a thing, and you can’t let the main characters of your franchise just die off so early in the series.
Dom and Brian decide to race each other this time, but a train moving full speed ahead will get in their way if they don’t speed up. The two slam their foot on the gas and activate their nitrous to beat each other and to avoid getting battered by the train with barely seconds to spare.
As silly as it is, it does make for a thrilling experience to witness and relive. It also marks one of the first few brotherly bonding moments between the two characters. Nothing brings you closer than death, after all.
7. The Power of Love
Now you know how we keep talking about plot armor? Well, the leading man, Dominic Toretto, has the most plot armor of them all. He even gets revived through the magnificent power of love.
In Furious 7, Dom gets hurt after driving his car at a helicopter and appears to be dead for about 2 minutes. All of the common procedures of reviving someone – CPR, chest compressions; did nothing for him. However, as Letty starts talking about how her memory is back and that she loves him while crying, the man somehow comes back to life. Note that at this point, they stopped trying to revive him, too.
Aside from that, let’s not talk about the superhuman strength Hobbs portrayed by moving a big slab of concrete and ripping the car door off its hinge to get to Dom’s body. Overall, it is an emotional scene, but if you double back, some parts may seem ridiculous.
8. Zombie Cars
This is another memorable sequence in the Fast and Furious franchise where Cipher turns every vehicle in New York City into her swarm. We’re not talking about those self-driving cars here; these cars are regular cars that somehow get hacked into and are driving themselves.
Oh, of course, it does not make sense. You should know that by now. Cars cannot be hacked into easily, especially if they are not electric or connected to an internet source. Typical manually operated cars are not hackable, although it makes for an interesting plotline.
Not to mention the fun chase sequence and cars being thrown out of buildings with reckless abandon, causing massive amounts of destruction. It’s chaotic and fun to watch, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.
9. Old Villain and a Baby
The main reason why this is a somewhat nonsensical moment to have in this film is because the Shaw brothers were the villains of the movie before it. Yet here they are, saving the baby of their sworn enemy with gusto and hardship. This is the same Deckard Shaw who murdered Dom’s longtime friend Han in cold blood, and here he is, making jokes with Dom’s baby.
Plus, all of this takes place on a plane. Deckard has the baby in his arms (at least within sight) throughout the shootouts and murdering Cipher’s goons. It’s a wonder the child doesn’t grow up with some trauma.
As silly as all this is, it makes for a fun and comedic sequence in the movie. It is also interesting to see Shaw’s character development and how easily the characters switch alliances. He’s now part of the family, along with his family.
10. The Resurrection of Han
Hailed as one of the most iconic moments in the Fast and Furious franchise, the internet went wild when the trailer dropped for Fast 9, revealing that Han is alive. Han is a fan-favorite character of the franchise, so his death getting retconned was one of the best decisions made.
Han’s character supposedly died in Tokyo Drift in an explosion masterminded by Deckard Shaw. It is no secret that the franchise bent some rules and altered the timeline for him to come back and for it all to make sense in Fast 9. It is revealed that his death was faked for him to protect and raise a girl – Elle, for a secret project.
It’s mind-bending and confusing if you have not been keeping up with the franchise, but we can all agree that having Han back is one of the best decisions the franchise has ever made. Sung Kang portrays the character with such grace and charisma it is hard for you not to love him.
11. Epic Bus Scene
It’s a great way to remember Paul Walker’s last movie in the franchise due to his untimely death. We are treated to a scene where he scales a bus hanging off a cliff, then jumps and barely makes it onto Letty’s speeding car. The timing is impeccable and hard to believe, especially since he free-hand scales the bus.
Plus, he barely manages to grab onto Letty’s car spoiler. If that weren’t there, he probably would have careened to his death. Either way, though, it makes for a tense and thrilling scene. Especially since before that, we get to watch a wild chase through the forest and a fight between Brian and a skilled assassin within the bus.
It’s like a moment out of a Mission Impossible movie, that’s for sure. One where everything feels like it’s running on chance and perfect timing or placements.
12. The Rock Is Immune to Broken Bones
Look, we all know how beefy and muscular The Rock is. He’s The Rock, after all. But even if he looks invincible, his character is human. So imagine how ridiculous it is to see Luke Hobbs get out of a hospital bed as if nothing happened and flex his muscles to break free of a cast.
His arm is supposedly broken, but he got out of the cast like nothing happened, and his arm is perfectly fine. That’s another great case of movie magic right there. Even in reality, a cast is difficult to take off, requiring the help of nurses and doctors to break through it. Though, this is not reality.
But it is wild to think that the directors and producers of the Fast and Furious franchise think it’s realistic enough to leave it in the movie’s final cut. Either they love the nonsense, or it just flew right over their heads.
13. Endless Runway Plane Fight
We have the endless runway plane fight in another iconic scene of peak nonsense and epic fights. Some fans have speculated that this must be the longest runway in the world since it seems to go on for about 26 miles. That is highly ridiculous since even the longest airport runway in the world is about 3 miles.
But anyway, back to this scene. Some would argue that it makes sense that the runway seems to go on forever if you think about it being shot from various angles, each moment coinciding. Yet even then, it feels like a stretch. Also, can we talk about how they’re trying to stop the plane by attaching it to their cars? How would that even work?
A lot is happening in the scene, with people fighting in the plane, people fighting outside the plane, and people trying their best to bring the plane down. It’s so chaotic that it’s hard for you to think about the realism of it all. But if you want some in-depth insight on it, check out this article that did the math for us all.
14. A Tank in the Middle of the Freeway
A literal tank in the middle of a busy freeway sounds like absolute hell, and Tej’s reaction to it at the beginning of the scene is what we would imagine everyone sounds like when faced with one.
Do I have to tell you how ridiculous it is for a tank to drive unsanctioned down a freeway, shooting missiles in broad daylight? Even writing that sentence feels surreal. Plus, they’re running down civilian cars like it’s nothing, but when Roman gets stuck in front of the tank, it doesn’t run him over or immediately damage his car. Perhaps being part of the family does grant you life immunity.
The best part? Letty goes flying through the air to her doom but is caught by Toretto in mid-air. They land on a car, and this man doesn’t even suffer a scratch. They stare intently into each other’s eyes as a flashback ensues, which means they stare at each other for upwards of 3 minutes in silence.
15. Torpedo With Bare Hands
Again, The Rock comes in clutch and is apparently invincible with his super strength to handle a torpedo with his bare hands and muscles. In this tense scene, explosions abound as the cars drive on what seems like a frozen lake. Cipher sends two torpedo missiles to decimate the team.
As luck would have it, one causes an explosion while the other slides onto the ice and gets redirected by Hobb, who dangles out of his door. The wild thing is, it doesn’t seem like he needed to put in much effort; just a little push and the missile is thrown off course and away from the team.
Having The Rock as part of your family is truly a blessing. He heals broken bones at the speed of light and can redirect a torpedo with a little grunt and push.
16. Trucks vs Helicopters
When it comes down to it, which do you think will win? Trucks or helicopters? Well, in Hobbs and Shaw, the trucks pull the winning card. Mind you, it’s not even a full-fledged or heavy-duty truck. It’s just the head of a truck with a metal chain that Hobbs manages to wind around a helicopter with a toss.
Yet somehow, the truck pulls the helicopter around like it weighs nothing and has zero resistance. Even if it is full-on operating in the sky and seems to be a military-grade helicopter. Even better, they manage to reel in the helicopter with the chain. The scene then ends up with four trucks attached, three of them floating in mid-air.
But all is saved when the miraculous nitrous gets fired up, and everyone is back on land. Best part? The chain comes loose, and Hobbs grabs onto it and the truck, showcasing his superhuman strength in holding a helicopter in place. Mind blown.
17. Death Defying Cliff Jump
It is safe to say that this cliff jump is one of the more iconic moments in Fast and Furious, purely because of the adrenaline rush of the moment. It starts with the train about to explode due to oil leakage and a bridge ahead that is fast approaching while Brain dangles off the side of the train.
Brian faces a fast death, and Dom slams the gas to get to him in a sports car stolen from the train. Brian barely makes it as he jumps into the car with Dom, but they drive off a cliff and into the water hundreds of feet below. Now, if you are aware of how physics and gravity work, the impact should kill them both.
But, of course, they survive. There is even a ridiculously long moment when the two dangled in the air before landing in the water, coming out completely unharmed. They even manage to talk to each other while swimming in place like nothing happened.
18. Boat Jump
In any scenario, landing a car on a boat seems like a ridiculous idea that would never have been possible. However, impossible is Fast and Furious’ middle name. This time, we have Brian driving a car at full speed off the road and somehow onto a yacht.
The funny thing is, it seems so convenient that a ramp is nearby as the boat passes through the area. Movie magic is doing its thing there. The distance the car has to cross to reach the boat seems ridiculous, too. Plus, it’s a wonder the boat didn’t end up sinking at the weight and force of the car landing on it.
Truly, let’s not dwell on the physics and science of this scene, as it is a cool action stunt for sure. Let’s just hope a Fast and Furious movie buff does not replicate it in real life.
19. Cars Are Immune to Explosions
The best way to describe this is ‘the power of family.’ This also takes place right after the ‘old villains and a baby’ scene we’ve mentioned above. As Dom drives his car into the submarine and gets launched while an explosion happens, he lands without a scratch.
But, it gets wilder. A bigger explosion ensues, and Dom is out in the open with nothing to protect him. The team drives their car into place right as the explosion happens and forms a box around Dom to protect him. He comes out unscathed, as do the cars: no broken windows or anything.
In reality, he would have burnt to a crisp. Mainly because nothing is stopping the flames from reaching him through the gaps of the cars, and the cars themselves would shatter at the force and heat. Tires would melt, and windows would at least crack. Ahh, movie magic.
20. Earth Shattering Stomp
It only stands to reason that The Rock as Hobbs is not the only character with ridiculous superhuman strength and invincibility. As the leading man, Dominic Toretto is a beast that does not seem to get injured or die either.
A great example would be this scene where he stomps on a destroyed parking structure, which results in an earthquake that buries Deckard Shaw alive, supposedly killing him. Did we mention he managed to survive the collapse of the parking structure hit by a missile? Either by dumb luck or movie magic, no one truly knows for sure.
The superhero pose at the height of the destruction ties the scene together as if Dom is a character out of a Marvel movie. With that ridiculous earth-shattering stomp, he truly could be. This fight scene with Shaw could be a scene from a superhero movie.
That’s all the Fast and Furious franchise nonsense we have for you today! We could have included so much more, but it might rot your brain by the time you get to the end. Anyway, do let us know in the comments which scene you enjoyed the most. If you’re interested in adding more movies to your watchlist, here’s a list of movies you can watch right away.
