For certain film series, you absolutely have to watch all the movies in order. On the other hand, this is not necessary for some sequels, like the Rambo, Indiana Jones, and older James Bond films. Terminator 2: Judgment Day was written so that you didn't have to see the first Terminator.
But nowadays, there's more of a tendency to narratively link movie sequels together. Arc has become an overly used term for storytelling, but consider film sagas like Star Wars, The Matrix, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies about the Infinity Stones. You cannot understand the storyline if you don't see the previous installments.
But because sequels are typically released months or years apart, audiences will likely not remember all the details from previous films, which keeps them from fully appreciating the movies. The Fast & Furious flicks are among my favorites, but they are not immune to this potential shortcoming of film series.
Fortunately, the solution is simple: You will achieve a much higher appreciation for a film saga when you watch all the movies in the proper order successively. It's the same principle as binge-watching a TV series.
Recently, I rewatched all the Fast & Furious films successively, and it was a completely different viewing experience compared to when I first saw them individually at the theater. I now understood all the references to other films. The stories and subplots were cohesive, and I appreciated all the character reappearances. I also affirmed that The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, even though it was the third film, should be viewed between Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7.
The first film, The Fast and The Furious, turned Paul Walker and Vin Diesel into leading actors. There's no doubt the film has similarities to Point Break, another one of my top favorite movies, but it's so well made fans don't seem to care.
Paul Walker got to be a part of one of the most successful movie franchises ever. There cannot be The Fast and The Furious without his character, Brian O'Conner. It's tragically sad Paul Walker is no longer available to do more films, but I'll always remember him as a great actor and human being.
The Fast & Furious movies are a lot of fun with first-rate storytelling and dialogue, particularly after screenwriter Chris Morgan joined the franchise's production team. And I'm not even into street racing or car tuning. Of all the film sagas you have to see, Fast & Furious should be high on the list of any action movie fan.
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