WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

A behind-the-scenes look at an action movie franchise that has captivated the world.

It was supposed to be, in the words of Universal Pictures’ Scott Stuber, “a small kids and cars movie for spring break.” But in the hands of director Rob Cohen, and stars Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, the 2001 movie The Fast and the Furious became something else—a massive, iconic blockbuster that turned into an unstoppable franchise, one that is still going strong. In his book, film critic Hertz aims to take readers behind the scenes of the Fast & Furious franchise, which has stretched across 11 films and starred notable actors, including Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, and, improbably, Helen Mirren. Based on more than 170 interviews, Hertz’s book takes readers behind the conception and shooting of all of the car-centric action films, which, he says, “serve as a rebuke to the kind of mushy modern blockbuster that values pixels over people, safety over sensation.” Hertz does a great job explaining the innovations that brought the films to life and exploring the various dramas that have plagued the franchise for years, particularly the long-running feud between Diesel and Johnson that reached a crescendo with Johnson’s Instagram post with the #ZeroToleranceforCandyAsses hashtag. The franchise was threatened by the death of Walker in a 2013 car crash, which Hertz handles sensitively: “No longer was the Fast team simply finishing a movie; they were honoring a life.” Hertz’s prose is muscular, matching the tone of the films, and he understands the movies’ appeal, which has extended beyond their initial planned audience of young men. Anyone interested in the history of modern popular film will get lost in Hertz’s well-told story.

Readers who can’t get enough of speed and steel will find this a ride worth taking.