Fast 9 Review – Welcome Back to the Movies

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Fast 9 Review – The Fast Saga delivers a high-octane out of this world experience that is prime for welcoming people back to theaters

After over a year of delay, Fast 9 is only 9 days away for us to enjoy. The ninth film of The Fast Saga, the tenth in the franchise, and the first big movie release after the first wave of the world reopening, Fast 9 has a lot to live up to. For many, it will be the first film they see in theaters since the pandemic began. The stakes have never been higher. I’m going to gut right to the chase with my Fast 9 review and say the film absolutely lives up to the hype and is the perfect film to welcome audiences back to theaters.

After the events of F8, The Fate of the Furious, Dom and Letty have isolated themselves from society to raise little Brian. That is until the Tej, Ramsey, and Roman carpool to their doorstep. Cypher was taken from Mr. Nobody’s custody and he sent his distress call to the team for help. In helping Mr. Nobody, the team learns that the one responsible for taking Cypher is Dom and Mia’s estranged brother, Jakob Torreto.

Fast 9 (F9) has a solid premise that builds off the franchise’s ongoing story but also does an incredible job of building the history prior to the events of the first film. The events that lead Jakob to become estranged from his family are revealed, giving us a lot of insight into Dom’s relationship with his father, and also more depth into the franchise’s commitment to family. The positive and negative sides of the power of family are wonderfully contrasted with the return of Jakob and Han* into Dom and the teams’ lives. The emotional drama is palpable and surprisingly poignant. The drama in the movie is incredibly well done and a bit unexpected. Not to say the previous films lacked drama, but the franchise is not usually known for dramatic impacts. This time around, I say the dramatic impact of the film is in the same ballpark of its action and spectacle.

*Apologies for no spoiler warning of Han’s return, but that was included in the trailers last year so I assume you’ve watched the trailers if you’re reading reviews.

To add to the dramatic coverage in this Fast 9 review, this film easily does the best job of giving everyone a chance to shine. While Vin Diesel’s Dom is unquestionably the main character, F9 gives the rest of the team franchise highlight moments. First Jordana Brewster’s Mia, this is easily her biggest part of the franchise and I believe her first big fight scene. Mia is the last string that connects Jakob to Dom and the Torreto family. Without giving away anything specific, Dom cutting ties with Jakob is understandable and justifiable. Mia’s presence, and Brewsters very sympathetic performance, is really the heart of the family motif in the film. The theme might be widely, and sometimes a bit cheesily used, but in F9 Brewster really pulls it all together making the theme more endearing. Then, of course, we have to talk about Sung Kang’s Han. Without giving any aspects of how he returns away, Kang still radiates a cool nonchalance that audiences expect from Han. This demeanor provides a wonderful contrast for Han, as he has some major stakes that bring out a more active side of the character. John Cena provides a thoroughly imposing presence and does a great job of matching, if not exceeding, Vin Diesel’s stoicism. A lot of the major dramatic points are sold by Cena’s fixated glares. His sidekick in the film, Otto played by Thue Ersted Rasmussen, is perfectly cast as a “rich douche.” The return of Sean, Twinkie, and Earl, (Lucas Black, Shad Moss, and Jason Tobin) was a fun inclusion, though I have to say they weren’t given much to do. With Han’s return, there may be more for the Tokyo Drift team to contribute in later films.

Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez deliver another stellar performance as Dom and Letty. Two very strong and capable characters with a deep love for each other that go to incredible lengths to protect their love and their family. Their pars and performances are what you want and expect from The Fast Saga. But Tyrese Gibson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ludacris got to expand on their roles quite a bit. Tyrese and Luda have played strong support characters since their debut in 2 Fast 2 Furious and their return in Fast Five. Their chemistry is stronger than ever, and the lack of Hobbs & Shaw really let them do a lot more. They of course have the funniest moments of the film, but they both also have longer and more intricate close-quarters action sequences that let them rightfully shine as action movie stars. And not to give too much away, but they take the film out of this world. Last but not least, is Nathalie Emmanuel’s Ramsey. I don’t want to give away her big moments, so I’ll do my best just to stay around it. Emmanuel effortlessly continues to play the smartest person in the room, perfectly complimenting and heightening the dynamics between her, Ludacris, and Tyrese. Sometimes, she’s smarter than both of them, other times she’s so smart she can’t understand them, and more times than not she is just in awe of how what should not have worked did work. She very subtly nails in the comedy, and she also gets to contribute in ways not accustom to her character. The build-up and self-analysis prior to these unaccustomed contributions are brilliantly written and performed for easily one of the funniest moments in the franchise.

The last aspect I want to cover in my Fast 9 review, is the film’s genius self-awareness. I am a fan of meta content, something about being in on the joke makes it great to me. Justin Lin and Fast 9 are fully aware of what The Fast Saga is. There is a full character arc that goes full meta on some of the over-the-top aspects of the franchise. It is treated as a joke and taken seriously, which makes it funnier and also makes it stick with you. The story itself does a masterful job of encompassing the contrast of where the franchise started to where it currently is. They fully understand how hard it is to grasp how a group that began by stealing VCR’s ends up taking out a submarine.  The entire team in the movie’s world, and that made the film in our world, know it and embrace it. Fast 9 drives full speed into the heart of what makes The Fast Saga the mega-franchise it is, with room for all fans and never braking for the detractors.

Fast 9 is the perfect film for coming back to the theaters. It is an absolutely gorgeous action movie with out-of-this-world spectacle, heart-pumping action, and surprisingly impactful drama. It is a thoroughly engaging experience that expertly utilizes the full potential theaters have to offer moviegoers (Personally, I recommend an enhanced theater experience, like Dolby Cinema or IMAX, as the film is the epitome of an audio-visual movie experience.). The film also feels like it is getting new life, with the expanded roles of other characters and the surprising increase in dramatic impact. Fast 9 leans into the heart of The Fast Saga, fully embracing its high-speed draw and breaks the boundaries they set with the previous films. It is a thoroughly great cinematic experience for action-loving fans. For pure fun and excitement, my Fast 9 review gets a 4.5/5.

Fast 9 releases only in theaters, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX June 25 2021. There is also a mid-credit scene.

Fast 9: The Fast Saga Review
4.5

TLDR

Fast 9 is the perfect film for coming back to the theaters. It is an absolutely gorgeous action movie with out-of-this-world spectacle, heart-pumping action, and surprisingly impactful drama. It is a thoroughly engaging experience that expertly utilizes the full potential theaters have to offer moviegoers (Personally, I recommend an enhanced theater experience, like Dolby Cinema or IMAX, as the film is the epitome of an audio-visual movie experience.). The film also feels like it is getting new life, with the expanded roles of other characters and the surprising increase in dramatic impact. Fast 9 leans into the heart of The Fast Saga, fully embracing its high-speed draw and breaks the boundaries they set with the previous films. It is a thoroughly great cinematic experience for action-loving fans.

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