When it opened in June 2001, The Fast and The Furious was met with shrugs by critics. But at the box office - where the public has been known to surprise Hollywood by showing industry experts what they really want - the movie raked in more than 00 million worldwide thanks to tremendous word-of-mouth buzz.As the franchise has continued to escalate, so have the gorgeous international settings, the scope of the high-adrenaline set pieces, and the depth of mythology. Perhaps the greatest ongoing legacy of the series - with two highly anticipated entries soon on the way - is the bond it has forged with fans around the globe. The fact that a modern film has accomplished so much without a comic book hero anywhere in sight is a movie miracle.