Film Review: F9: The Fast Saga

F9: The Fast Saga is the latest in the Fast & Furious franchise. It features the return of director Justin Lin who brought the series to new heights with his run in the series from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift to Fast & Furious 6. He also co-wrote the film with Daniel Casey. It follows our favorite #Family as Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) lure Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) out of their peaceful life and into a new mission, along with Mia (Jordana Brewster), but the mission becomes more person when it not only comes to light that their old friend Han (Sung Kang) might still be alive, but the big bad they’re against is Dom’s estranged little brother, Jakob (John Cena).

Throughout the film, we get some flashbacks to Dom’s youth, where we see the evolution of his relationship with Jakob, and how it all comes apart due to an accident during a race that took the life of their father. And the film also manages to further complicate and shift their dynamic in interesting ways as more information about their past comes to light. It provides a compelling contrast to the otherwise bombastic spectacle that the film indulges itself in during the present time period. It might seem tonally off on paper, but both aspects of the film are equally heightened, just in a different way.

I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to really getting on board with this franchise. I’m not a huge car guy, so the first film left me cold, and when Fast Five rolled around, and kind of blew our collective minds, I felt like there was a lot to like in the film’s strong Saturday Morning Cartoon energy combined with the earnest, soap opera method of exploring the inner lives of these characters. As much as these film have this stoic and meat-headed reputation, what keeps them endearing is their willing to let these characters be vulnerable and while these films definitely had their stumbles (still not a fan of Deckard Shaw’s effortless redemption arc from The Fate Of The Furious), there is still a charm that keeps me coming back, which I’m sure is the same for many.

Speaking of Deckard Shaw’s redemption arc, with F9 more than any other, it really seems like the filmmakers are actively responding to the fans, which is oddly enough where I am most mixed on. It’s great to see Han back, his character was one of the coolest, and the kind you don’t often get with Asian-American actors. Sung Kang slips back into the role like he never left. Although, the explanation behind his return is basically absolute nonsense, but it’s the kind of nonsense that works within the realm of reality that these films have created. Some of the other elements included based on fan demand and reactions are not quite as smooth.

There’s a whole thing with Roman having an existential crisis because of how often they survive ridiculous situations, and he believes they are special, perhaps even invincible, not unlike the Jules’ whole miracle bit from Pulp Fiction. It would be fine enough if it was one monologue, but it’s stretched out too thin, and doesn’t really have much of a payoff. It’s an unnecessary wink to the audience, which clashes with the unwavering sincerity that made these movies and characters so lovable. It’s the first time these movies seemed strangely self-conscious. Then there’s the whole going to space thing. Everyone wanted these movies to go to space, and – this is me assuming you’ve seen the trailers – they finally give in. In the context of the movie, it’s an amusing sequence to witness in the moment, but it felt so much like it was only there to satisfy the folks who wanted to see these characters in space. Though, I will say the actors do sell the moment.

Given some of the wild action sequences that happen here, I think the filmmakers are creative enough to not use fan expectations as a crutch. The action beats are really exciting, clearly have a lot of thought put towards them, and with the combination of real car stunts and CG enhancements, they are quite stunning to behold, especially on the big screen. The London chase might even be one of the best action sequences in the entire franchise, though I do think Michael Bay’s 6 Underground did more cool stuff with the whole magnet gimmick. The car stuff does fare better than the more hand-to-hand stuff, which can sometimes feel a little tight and claustrophobic.

The performances are about what you’d expect from our usual crew. The new players do bring more than one would initially expect. John Cena carries a near permanent scowl for practically the entire film, but he still manages to bring some subtle – yes, subtle – looks that really makes you buy into the anger that he feels deep down. I also really enjoyed Anna Sawai as Ellie, a girl with a tragic past that Han took under his wing, she’s got a lot of promise for this franchise. And it’s great seeing Michael Rooker as Buddy, a family friend from Dom’s past. I wish there was more of him honestly. The only one who doesn’t totally work is Charlize Theron, who returns as Cipher from The Fate Of The Furious, which pains me to say as a fan of Theron. It doesn’t help that she’s so far detached from all the action, spending most of the film in a glass box. There’s only so much sultry speechifying she can do before you realize there isn’t much of a character there.

Out of all the Fast & Furious movies, I would probably call this a mid-tier entry. It’s not quite up there with the likes of Fast Five, Furious 7, but it’s definitely nowhere near the bottom of the pile with entries like Fast & Furious and the spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw. There are some great moments sprinkled throughout this film, and while as a whole, it all feels like it’s packing way too much for one movie, it still made for a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience. It’s not often you can go ten installments into a franchise like this, and still have some fresh ideas, but they still manage to do it. And while Chris Morgan’s touch is sorely missed, after having him write these movies from Tokyo Drift onward, Justin Lin proves that he gets these characters and this franchise better than just about anyone else. Even as a mid-tier installment, there was a lot I liked here, the action is thrilling, I enjoyed my time with these characters, there’s a few genuinely moving character beats, and I think it sets up a couple exciting dynamics for the sequel to explore. I for one can’t wait to see where it all goes.

F9: The Fast Saga is now out in theaters.