Killing_Joke
Member
She's right but FF is a dumb action movie. Good writing has never been its strong suit. People just want to see shit blow up and the Rock ice skate tossing missiles. Maybe she should just look for better roles?
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Michelle Rodriguez: better quality + quantity for Fast 9 female characters or I quit
- Thread starter EulaCapra
- Start date
Camper Van Beethoven
Banned
Hard to give much of a shit about her sudden principles 6 movies in.
Empowerment is very in right now. This is her just trying to get over. If they fire her shes a hero if they pander to her she makes more money.
FrontalMonk
Banned
I dunno how to feel about this; I agree with them that we need more, better female leading roles with movies that pass the Bechdel test with flying colors, but this smacks of manufactured controversy.
I wouldn't necessarily accuse them of it if not for the whole manufactured controversy around F8 where Vin was supposedly super difficult to deal with and the Rock went to insta to complain about it prior to releasing the trailers showing Vin as the Bad Guy in that movie.
What I'm saying is we can probably expect more strong female representation in F9 and we'll be all about it.
I wouldn't necessarily accuse them of it if not for the whole manufactured controversy around F8 where Vin was supposedly super difficult to deal with and the Rock went to insta to complain about it prior to releasing the trailers showing Vin as the Bad Guy in that movie.
What I'm saying is we can probably expect more strong female representation in F9 and we'll be all about it.
This is FF. The men don't have anything to work with.
sixteen-bit
Member
I hope they listen. FF movies are pretty fun but it seems like the recurring women cast members have less and less to do with each subsequent one.
Not even an awkward CGI race into the sunset.
Is stupid because she can act. But Hollywood money talks. She's not gonna pass up six figure pay checks.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
Franchise went from
Dom, Brian, and Letty
to
Dom, Brian, The Rock, Statham, Tyrese/Luda, and then Letty
in level of importance
Dom, Brian, and Letty
to
Dom, Brian, The Rock, Statham, Tyrese/Luda, and then Letty
in level of importance
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
What movies has she been in that she's been great in? She only gets paid 6 and not 7 figures, that's surprising tbh.
I don't know how many people care if she leaves. Normally I would have standards as well for improving the series, but this is one of the dumbest action series of all time. Turn the brain off and enjoy the popcorn/explosions.
ryutaro's mama
Member
Following her success with WW, Gal's price is probably prohibitive to have her return at this point. Besides, she may have no desire to even comeback to this series at this point.
I think it's bullocks that they bring Ramsey into the fold and completely waste her for 2 movies on being a redundancy to Tej's "hacking" mutant power. Oh and a love interest for Roman and Tej to fight over. Ugh.
If anyone should be complaining about better quality + quantity, it should be her. At least Letty gets to do something...
do you guys even know what franchise you're watching?
Its nothing more than shots of cars and women.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Because that would be awful and bomb. The whole popularity of the series is the entire crew and their dynamic. If not we get movies like Tokyo Drift with knockoffs of the main actors (Han was the only good to come out of it) that are kind of forgotten
I don't know why people here assume this is such a long shot or a hard ask. I'm pretty sure Vin has tons of sway and he seems like the type who'd be open and receptive to this
Also she's not calling out sexism, or for there to be less ass shots and stuff. I don't think she minds and she realizes that's part of the series. She just wants more badass independent women who actually have as big of parts as the men and talk to one another.
legacyzero
Banned
I love these movies so goddamn much. But yeah, she's right. And I still laugh at her fight scene with Ronda lol. That's an example is needing more quality
UnemployedVillain
Member
This is so petty
Dont get so easily triggered man, I am -mostly- fooling around. Its true that while I loved a couple of movies from the franchise like the first one and Tokyo Drift and FF7, the rest of the movies are pretty shitty imo. I will never forget watching that car chase scene with the safes chained to the back of the cars... I mean sure, I am not expecting pure realism, but there should be a damn limit lol, that shit was absolutely ridiculously stupid.
PS: I am not very fond of Mrs Rodriguez either
BronsonLee
Member
She's right
Bring back Gal Gadot? And Han!
Trumplestiltskin
Banned
I really don't think the international box office really cares about the Bechdel test. The series was always about making money, now that it's a reliable $1B for Comcast I don't think they're going to rock the boat.
Maybe a Fem & Furious spinoff to go alongside the Rock/Statham one?
Maybe a Fem & Furious spinoff to go alongside the Rock/Statham one?
Messofanego
Banned
Well written characters isn't mutually exclusive with action movies. Mad Max Fury Road, Baby Driver, the new Planet of the Apes trilogy, Star Wars, Die Hard, Rambo, Aliens, Predator, Logan, Wonder Woman, Spiderman 2, the Nolan Batman trilogy, and even some Fast and Furious movies have well defined and likeable characters that are worth emotionally investing in.
Not every action movie has to be dumbed down to Bay/Snyder levels.
I agree with her in a general sense, and definitely think they need to give her and Nathalie more to work with in the next film, but I don't know if I agree that they need to add more female characters.
The cast of these movies is already bloated as is. How could they possibly introduce several new female characters in the next film and somehow do them all justice, while still giving their existing characters some moments to shine? Doesn't seem particularly realistic.
As for the quality...I mean none of the characters (male or female) are particularly well-written. These are dumb fun action movies for a primarily male audience, and the franchise has become a box office monster by catering to that audience. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with that, either. We need more female representation and bechdel test passing films yes, but not every franchise should be pressured into adding more female characters for the sake of it.
Not to mention they actually had Rodriguez in a more prominent role a few movies back with the whole amnesia thing, and villain or not - Charlize was fantastic in Fate.
The cast of these movies is already bloated as is. How could they possibly introduce several new female characters in the next film and somehow do them all justice, while still giving their existing characters some moments to shine? Doesn't seem particularly realistic.
As for the quality...I mean none of the characters (male or female) are particularly well-written. These are dumb fun action movies for a primarily male audience, and the franchise has become a box office monster by catering to that audience. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with that, either. We need more female representation and bechdel test passing films yes, but not every franchise should be pressured into adding more female characters for the sake of it.
Not to mention they actually had Rodriguez in a more prominent role a few movies back with the whole amnesia thing, and villain or not - Charlize was fantastic in Fate.
Messofanego
Banned
Then they won't care if the films go for the Bechdel test, then. It's not like well written female characters will mess up their box office, and it's completely doable.
BronsonLee
Member
This really only became a problem with 7 and 8 IMO
She wasn't really in 4, was 100% not in 5, and was evil in 6
She wasn't really in 4, was 100% not in 5, and was evil in 6
Knuckle Sandwich
Member
She should have much more to do tbh. She's a better action star and actor than everyone else except Rocky and Statham.
This is the wrong threat to make. She's entirely replaceable in the current FF landscape which is vin+rock+statham. The statham and rock parts are better than anything else. Her character isn't that interesting and I don't see how it could realistically (lol) be fixed. I laugh because they basically made dom an indestructible force in the last movie so I mean I guess anything goes but I don't see it happening.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
These are Fast and Furious movies.
(Besides which she CAN act)
The series needs to write out Dom, firstly.
If Letty effectively replaces him as head of the Fambleh, all the better.
But good luck getting the exec producer to agree to writing himself out of the last meal ticket he's got on Earth
UnemployedVillain
Member
She's a core part of Dom's character. She's not going to be replaced. Come on now...you think Statham is bigger than her, with regards to the series?! He's a more popular actor, but she's definitely a more well known and loved character
Daffy Duck
Member
Yes, I've been there since the very start.
But 8 movies later we don't need the same panning shot of ladies in skimpy shorts with their ass hanging out leaning over car bonnets.
Agent Gibbs
Member
Yup, that first movie she was his 'right hand man' equal partner in everything, then after she was 'killed off' and returned she was relegated to his Girlfriend and lackie
I still wish Gal Gadot and Han hand't been killed off
although now its revealed that Statham wasn't actually a bad guy and was just misrepresented I wouldn't be surprised if in the next film its revealed he helped to fake Han's death so he could leave the Yakuza
The more established you are, the more leverage you have. Maybe she could have done it a few films earlier, but not from the start. She would just have been "that character from the first one" and they would have happily replaced her.
Give gal gadot more screen time
I hope that never happens, I don't think the movie would be better for it if Letty was the head. I think she's good in the movies and I am glad she's doing this to hopefully have more meaningful female characters. I hope they take the criticism from her and do something about it.
Well... let's be real about it. You could take Letty out of Fast 1 and it doesn't make that much of a difference. That movie was entirely about the relationship between Dom and Brian. In fact, Jordana Brewster was probably more crucial to the plot since Brian having a thing with Dom's sister was necessary to their dynamic.They killed Letty off in Fast 4 and made the best movie in the franchise without her.
I'm all for more women, but let's not pretend they were ever that important in F&F.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Did people really watch Fast 8? Or did I miss something? Statham, Tyrese/Luda are in no way more "important" than Letty in these movies. She was always a solid #3 behind Dom and Brian, and now #4 behind the Rock, but she's far more significant than the rest of those guys
legacyzero
Banned
That's just nuts. For one, there's nothing wrong with the existing character dynamics, especially with Dom being the focus.
All she's asking for is that the writers create the same dynamic with the females too. And no, Michelle isn't really main character material IMO.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
But the entire cast is there for eye candy. Male and female. You think The Rock and Vin have on tight shirts for the hell of it? Think they have scenes of men lifting incredibly heavy items and flexing to progress the plot? It's a series about cars, which historically went hand in hand with pretty women in skimpy clothes. Now they have added men in skimpy clothes as well.
I get what she is saying, but honestly outside of Vin, who in the series gets a story? Everyone is a sidekick to him at this point. I guess Paul did before he died, but that was it. I agree with her sentiment, but in the current form of the series, I just don't see how what she is asking for can be accomplished. The formula is speed, cars, amazing stunts male/female eye candy, slamming soundtrack, and somewhat of a plot. Maybe have the next one be her saving Vin and taking the leader-Vin role for half the flick?
Depends on how are you qualifying "important"
Tyrese one liners and general stupid stuff are way more memorable for people than most things Letty.
Luda is whatever, agreed.
Robot Pants
Member
More importantly what will she do without them
-tetsuo-
Unlimited Capacity
It resulted in Fast 5....