Review by RCR’s Eric Szymanski for Red Carpet Report TV, Follow Eric on social at @ecmanski
How does a franchise remain fresh after 9 movies while satisfying its fan base with what they’ve come to accept? Bigger…louder…more absurd. That’s the approach F9 took and depending on how to wish you view this film, it works. Somewhat.
Vin Diesel returns as Dominic Toretto to lead his crew on another impossible mission in order to save the world. Through the years, Dom has put an emphasis on family. I even took a shot of my soda every time I heard the word muttered while sitting through this 2 hour and 25 minute trek. Had there been alcohol in it, I may have been too intoxicated to even remember the finale. But family is exactly what Dom is going up against. John Cena, who we haven’t seen let alone heard about before, shows up as Jakob to wreck havoc attempting world domination…. Wait, no spoilers here folks. There’s a thing that if it falls into the wrong hands could cause… I just can’t help myself trying to explain the plot. Who am I kidding, what plot?!?
The movie kinda plays like a greatest hits. I mean it is called F9: The Fast Saga and I’ll give um credit, they accomplish showcasing many of the fan favorites. We even have moments of “I thought this guy died 6 movies ago”. That’s not a spoiler. Han (Sung Kang) is prominently featured on the poster and in the trailers. Oh, it’s explained how he’s been resurrected and I sat there like “cool, I buy it”. And that’s why I enjoyed this film. I dropped a part of my brain off in the lobby upon entering the theater. The part that processes logic.
I can see how die hard fans may be disappointed with this one. The filmmakers actually do go too far this time out. In the past, FF movies have always teetered on the absurd finding the right balance and pulling back just enough to still make things believable. Those days are gone. At least in this movie. The laws of physics are completely off the table and Toretto now might as well trade in his signature sleeveless shirts for tights and a cape. Nothing hurts this guy. I didn’t even see a scratch after landing on a car windshield. At one point, he’s pulling down buildings like the mighty Hercules while single handedly battling an army of soldiers. But that’s what worked. The audience I sat with cheered at these parts. I bigger the stunt, the louder the laughter. And isn’t that what all of us want as we start to gather once again? A good time at the movies with strangers?
I’ll be honest, as much as I’ve enjoyed this franchise, if you were to ask me to distinguish the plot of each movie, I couldn’t tell you. Fast cars, slow-motion dance sequences around fast cars, and family cookouts. That sums up every movie. Sure, this one has flashbacks explaining the origins of the Toretto sibling rivalry. Sure, this one has Charlize Theron doing her best Hannibal Lecter impression as the returning character Cipher. Sure this one has Tyrese and Ludacris on a mission that is well, ludacris. Whatever. As nonplausible as the entire thing is, it checks all the boxes of what you want from an FF movie with enough gas left in the tank to set up a tenth movie.
