3. Star power matters… (the Fast And Furious movies)

The ostensible draw of the Fast And Furious movies is watching cars doing death-defying stunts while driving really fast. But the real secret to the franchise’s longevity isn’t the stunts, but the savvy casting. Effortlessly diverse, the Fast And Furious ensemble is stocked with action heroes with which people of many ethnic backgrounds can identify, and its female cast—anchored by Michelle Rodriguez as drag-racing tough gal Letty—is just as capable as its male one. This isn’t to say that the Fast And Furious movies have great acting, or even realistic character development; it’s just that everyone’s star shines so brightly, viewers are more than willing to laugh along with Tyrese Gibson’s corny one-liners or cheer Dwayne Johnson when he straps on a machine gun and storms in to save the day. As the leader of this street-smart crew of charmers, Vin Diesel brings boatloads of lunkhead appeal; he’s the kind of guy, to quote a common defense of George W. Bush, that you’d like to have a beer with. (A Corona, specifically.) Over the course of seven movies, this star power has done something other action franchises could learn from: It’s made viewers care about who’s behind the wheel. [Katie Rife]