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Worldwide, Furious 7 (2015) has passed $1.5 billion in box office revenue. It’s soon to become the third-highest grossing movie of all time. So how did a franchise that began in 2001 with a movie that the New York Times described as “Neither fast nor furious, this film belongs in the section of the supermarket where blah-white labels and big block lettering denote brandless cigarettes, vodka, crushed pineapple and, in this case, action pictures” turn into one of the biggest action franchises in history?

It grew up.

Not in sophistication, necessarily - The Fast & Furious unapologetically boasts impossible stunts, unrealistically durable humans, and unlikely plots. But it’s a movie franchise that hits the right marks for many Americans who enjoy going to a summer blockbuster movie. The filmmakers love doing real stunts and effects, not relying heavily on CGI. The cast consists of attractive celebrities and iconic faces, with the franchise having created a name for most of its stars, and drawing veteran actors into the fold. And its story, though over-the-top, contains a current of heartfelt romanticism and sensibility that makes its overly-muscular superhero characters feel real. Well, at least, as real as the fantasy of what “real life” could be in a world replete with beautiful women racing super fast cars, cool best friends who’ve “got your back” and adrenaline-packed action.

As Todd VanDerWerff of Vox so aptly describes it, the films “feature openly sentimental, oddly complex storytelling. They’re a testament to the bravery and diversity of this great land, to its boldness of spirit and openness of heart. This is grand, glorious soap opera, with motor oil pumping through a heart measured in horsepower. This is America reimagined as a fireball.”

Cars. Action. Attractive people. Drama. Plot twists. Music. Explosions. Sentiment. Family. Superheroes. Villains. Guns. Romance. These are the ingredients of Furious 7, and most of the franchise. The components are one thing, but the way they are combined is what gives the film and its brethren a unique spirit. While the franchise started as a character drama with some street racing spattered throughout, it has evolved along with its audience. As viewers’ expectations rose, the films met those expectations, and then provided more to desire.

After the first two, the third (Tokyo Drift (2006)) changed settings and characters. Although it was the lowest grossing film of the franchise, Tokyo Drift was also the first film directed by Justin Lin, who initiated the series transformation into what it is today. By the fourth film (Fast & Furious (2009)), the seemingly separate fictional worlds of the first three films were retroactively connected, and audiences were presented with the “family” unit Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), the franchise’s lead, so frequently referenced throughout Furious 7. The films stopped being independently ridiculous action movies, and started being cohesively ridiculous action movies with surprisingly authentic arcing subplots of love, relationships, brotherhood, friendship, and - of course - family. They put car racing on the back burner to build films around general action, adopted the swagger and personality of James Bond films, and invested in the characters. It’s that attention to character detail often lacking in modern action films which makes the Furious films more than the sum of their parts.

The mythology running throughout the films since the fourth installment keeps viewers invested in what happens next. As Vox says, “from the fourth movie on, the story of the franchise has been one story, which slowly builds on previously established character relationships and plot twists. It’s kind of like a giant, cinematic TV show.” Therefore, while the action is constant and extreme, the overall drama builds slowly as each title connects to the next. That is engrossing storytelling. Especially since the personal dramas are always more important than the plot dramas. Fast & Furious uses action sequences to heighten the moments of softness that come between them, not the other way around. How many scenes between Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are there in Furious 7 alone? And how many conversations about Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordanna Brewster)? Enough to make Furious 7 a sentimental picture where all the action is the consequence of love. It’s extremely unique.

The filmmakers’ determination to use practical effects also adds an authenticity to the films. In an era where Hollywood can fake just about anything, Fast & Furious still relies on good old-fashioned stunts. When cars crash, two stunt guys actually crashed cars. In Furious 7, even the cars falling out of the airplane actually happened. Whether we realize it or not, that authenticity goes a long way in appreciation of the films.

On that same note, the films aren’t apprehensive about their absurdity. They know when they’re being obnoxious and cliché, and they embrace it. Moments like The Rock saying “Daddy’s gotta go to work” before arm-curling himself out of a cast are intentionally goofy, and the film is endearing of these moments. Its acknowledgement of its silliness only adds to its credibility, and helps round out the balance between action, drama, humor, and sentiment.

The Fast & Furious films aren’t just about one thing - and they aren’t one-dimensional. They’re beautifully ridiculous and ridiculously beautiful, and as long as they continue to imbed the characters with drama relatable to the audience, and give viewers the chance to care about the people in the film above all, it will stay a powerful American franchise.