20 years ago, Vin Diesel's contract loophole changed American cinema forever

20 years ago, Vin Diesel's contract loophole changed American cinema forever

Two decades ago, many fans of the Fast and Furious movies felt the franchise had run out of gas. For the third movie in the series, director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan abandoned the franchise's established main characters, shifted the focus to Japan, and introduced an entirely new cast led by a teenager (who looked like he was 20) learning the art of drifting. It felt like an odd detour, and critics skewered it as a desperate sequel dest…