But why is that tho? I thought with the Rocks name and links to F&F brand that this would have a better opening
F&F does a few things (cater to latino/black/asian audiences and preserve a link to car culture) that the ads for this movie made clear were nonexistant. F&F series has even started ticking off some legit feminst boxes starting with 4 and 5. This movie marketed itself exclusively as a male-centric (and lets be honest white male centric) out there action flick that didn't resemble F&F at all and that's where I thinkt he disconnect is coming. Honestly, I don't think this movie would do MUCH worse if it didn't have any connection to F&F at all. There isn't a lot there crossing over for F&Fs fanbase, tonally.
F&F also does a great job with soundtrack. Danza Kuduro and See You Again are two of the biggest pop songs of the 2010s and both are inherently linked with F&F, as F&F really embodies the current glow-up/turn-up/just ethnic enough party culture that really is the wave nowadays.
Also, they basically made a corny Cop Movie out of what is a Robbers franchise.
That's why I say the last bit of the movie, them in Samoa using their wits and car know-how amongst a exotic backdrop and minority people out-manuevering "the man" is the most like the rest of the series, and I think why the last few weeks before release they started pushing that SO heavy and basically gave away the entire end of the film.
Basically, you got to put a lot of respect on whoever it is (Vin Diesel/Lin whoever), who is making a lot of these little decisions that go a LONG way into each F&F tapping into the zeitgeist every time one drops.
