Vin Diesel is back on the big screen with the release of Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8, 2022. And although the actor won’t actually be seen, his role as Groot is beloved. Diesel has many other films in his list of credits, spanning more than two decades, and fans on Ranker have cast their votes to determine which of Vin Diesel’s movies they feel are the best.
Inevitably, the Fast & Furious installments dominate since the actor is best associated with the series. Certain others, like Guardians of the Galaxy and more, do show up, making it worth checking out which features the average Ranker fan loves to watch Vin Diesel in the most.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Riddick (2013)
Stream On HBO Max
While it’s debatable which sequel between Riddick and The Chronicles of Riddick is better, the third entry features the same action and horror elements that fans enjoy. Riddick sees the titular protagonist stranded on a scorched planet where he has to contend with alien predators and mercenaries.
Vin Diesel had already portrayed Dominic Toretto in Fast & Furious multiple times by the time of Riddick’s release, so fans were excited to see him reprise another one of his iconic roles. Riddick’s dark atmosphere might not be for everyone, but enthusiasts of the series get exactly what they want.
Pitch Black (2000)
Stream On Peacock
Before Vin Diesel made it to mainstream popularity, Pitch Black served as one of his first leading roles. It sees Richard B. Riddick attempting to come up with a plan with the surviving crew of a crashed spaceship in order to survive the hostile environment of a desert planet.
Unlike its sequels, Pitch Black makes heavy use of horror elements and Vin Diesel shows off his acting range. Although Pitch Black didn’t set critical opinions alight, it connected with film audiences and continues to be regarded among Diesel’s best by viewers.
The Chronicles Of Riddick (2004)
Stream On Peacock
The sequel to Pitch Black veered into action territory, with Riddick going up against an invading army that plans to invade a planet to kill all its population. The Chronicles of Riddick boasted a bigger budget than the original and a PG-13 rating to attract younger viewers, which didn’t work too well at the box office.
However, the film has a good following on home media, becoming the most popular out of the three Riddick films yet. Many enjoy the sequences that make full use of Vin Diesel’s action background. The Chronicles of Riddick is a breezy watch that isn’t complex like the other two entries.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Stream On Disney+
Although audiences never see the actor, Vin Diesel is present as the voice of Groot. The first entry starring the dysfunctional group established Groot as the bravest among the Guardians of the Galaxy. The story has the team banding together to stop Ronan the Accuser’s plans to destroy Xandar.
Groot is notable for being a funny and adorable member of the group, who eventually gives his life to save his friends. It’s one of the few Vin Diesel films to have an overwhelmingly positive critical and fan reception, and the actor has returned to voice Groot ever since.
Furious 7 (2015)
Stream On Fubo TV
The send-off to Paul Walker gathered a lot of hype for Furious 7, which is the final adventure for Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner. Of course, the lead protagonist is still Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, who goes on a globetrotting mission with his crew to battle Deckard Shaw.
Furious 7 is largely appreciated for its final scene where Dom and Brian say their goodbyes, while the film overall isn’t as well-liked as some other Fast & Furious features. The story can get repetitive with Shaw constantly following the heroes everywhere they go, although Furious 7 still has the series’ patented over-the-top action.
Fast & Furious (2009)
Stream On Peacock
The fourth installment in the Fast & Furious series saw the reunion of Dom and Brian, both of whom hadn’t shared the screen since the first part. It still features car chases as its primary form of entertainment as in the previous three installments, but Fast & Furious also packs in notable fight sequences.
The movie is about Dom and Brian’s pursuit of the people responsible for the supposed death of Dom’s girlfriend, Letty. Fast & Furious has a soft spot in Vin Diesel fans’ hearts since it marked the time when the actor firmly became an action star and has since continued exclusively releasing films in the genre.
F9 (2021)
Stream On HBO Max
While there are quite a few cheesy scenes present in F9, it’s something that fans of the series look forward to. F9’s reception proves the staying power of Dominic Toretto, with the character having appeared for 20 years after the first film was released.
F9 brings the revelation of Dom’s brother, Jakob, who is on a mission to place a deadly device in space. The brothers’ conflict and eventual reconciliation are the cruces of the story. F9 didn’t really change the Fast & Furious template, but it found new ways to up the ante, such as the heroes actually going to space.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Stream On HBO Max
The sixth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise is where things started going off the rails. It sees Dom reassembling his crew to stop Owen Shaw’s team, along with his mission of reuniting with the amnesiac Letty who’s working for Shaw. Fast & Furious 6’s plot isn’t the most logical, which helps in keeping the focus on the action.
From Dom leaping over a bridge and saving Letty in midair to the crew taking down an entire plane using their cars, Fast & Furious 6 is pure high-octane entertainment. Fans like to keep it for their rewatching of the series, as the film carries a fast-paced atmosphere filled with Dom’s trademark stoicism and one-liners.
Fast Five (2011)
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Routinely ranked among Vin Diesel’s best films, Dominic Toretto took things to a grand stage in Fast Five. The series experienced a shift, moving away from racing-centric stories to a heist theme, with Fast Five featuring Dom assembling his crew to rob a crime boss in Rio de Janeiro.
Fast Five opened up the series to be more accessible to mainstream audiences and the introduction of The Rock as Luke Hobbs brought in millions of viewers. It still represents a peak for the series where both critical and fan reviews are concerned, remaining very watchable over a decade later.
The Fast And The Furious (2001)
Stream On Peacock
It’s fitting that the film that started Vin Diesel’s rise to the A-list is the favorite of Ranker fans. The Fast and the Furious definitely feels small in scale now, given how far the protagonists have gone since. But watching Dom at his roots and the beginning of his friendship with Brian has its own appeal.
The Fast and the Furious is about Brian’s infiltration of Dom’s crew to find proof of their illegal dealings, only to become part of the team for real. Where it lacks in the big-budget scenes the sequels have in abundance, the first entry more than makes up in charm and the performances of the cast.