F9
Run Time: 2 Hour 25 Minutes
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Summary:
Dom and Letty are living peacefully away from the action raising Dom’s son Brian. One day Roman, Tej and Ramsey come to show them a transmission from Mr. Nobody that shows Cipher (the villain from the last film) being extracted. So the team and a reluctant Dom travels to the crash site of Mr. Nobody’s plane and there Dom comes face to face with his estranged brother Jakob and has to face a threat like never before.
Characters:
Returning from previous titles in the series, Fast and Furious 9 feature the core group of Dom Toretto, the leader and recent father, Letty, his wife, Roman, Tej, and Ramsey. For the most part, these characters are the same as their counterparts in the past movies. In this movie, the main villains are Jakob Toretto, Dom’s brother, and Otto, a snobby rich kid who backs Jakob.
Austin: 8.8/10
Review:
Fast 9 is an absolute blast of a movie. It’s high-paced, super fun to watch, and breaks every law of physics out there. Sebastian explained this the best as a popcorn movie. For those that have never heard that term before, it means you just sit back, turn your brain off, and enjoy the movie. There are a ton of things that happen in this movie that make absolutely no sense from cars breaking the laws of physics, to the bad guys having worse than stormtrooper aim. Regardless, it was so exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat. Dom and cast are still just as great as the previous movies. The bonds between our cast are one of the main reasons we even have a Fast 9. I loved seeing John Cena as Jake, and the backstory we get really fleshed out Dom’s childhood even further. The brotherly rivalry was fun to watch, and the idea of Dom having a brother turned evil made things quite interesting. The gadgets we see used in this movie are also fantastic. From a plane with a magnet to catch cars to cars strapped with a jet engine, this is nearly science-fiction. Regardless of the fundamental flaws to the logic behind the movie, the plot is a good one. It’s fairly simple with just a ton of action to fill the lulls. The quality of the writing behind the plot is definitely better than in previous Fast and Furious movies. It still has some glaring plot holes, but I’m not convinced those will ever go away. It’s a grain of salt you take with movies like these, and it’s a worthwhile trade-off. I didn’t go see Fast 9 for the coherence of the plot, I saw Fast 9 for the guns, the cars, and some crazy stunts.
If you enjoyed the previous Fast and Furious movies, this is a great movie to check out. Obviously, stuff doesn’t make sense along the way but there is enough of a plot and some awesome characters that it doesn’t overshadow the movie. So glad to be back in the theatres, and hopefully everyone gets a chance to enjoy the overpriced popcorn soon!
Favourite Moment (Spoilers):
My favourite moment has to be the little scene in space. Watching Roman and Tej floating in space discussing their imminent doom and the mission at hand was both hilarious and super cool. The driving in space felt like sci-fi, but it was super entertaining.
Sebastian: 9.2/10
Review:
I love the Fast and Furious franchise and nearly all installments are fun and entertaining throughout. F9 is no different as I loved the high energy and the cool action in the film. The characters we all love return even some from the dead and it’s always great to see the family back together going on some insane mission. These movies have become one of those must-see franchises where every entry brings something new and always cranks the intensity to 11. What really always holds this together for me is Vin Diesel as Dom because he knows the character so well at this point, he understands how to make him still seem fresh and sincere even when he talks about family 5 times a movie. Tej and Roman are always a highlight with their comedy and this film is no different as we see them constantly bickering and cracking many jokes that had me laughing. The action scenes were awesome and I continue to love the new ways they come up with to do crazy stuff with cars that may be impossible in real life but so fun to watch. The story was well put together and simple so they could focus more on the characters and action though I did like how Dom’s past was explored more in this film. I liked the character of Jakob, introduced in this film as he really adds a new dynamic for Dom and the family that I didn’t expect to happen. I also like how this film sets up the next installments leaving a lot for me to be excited about. My only problem in this film is that once or twice it stretched my suspension of disbelief just a bit too far to where I couldn’t believe what was happening especially one element in particular.
All in all, this is another fantastic and fun entry in the fast franchise that anyone who has seen the others will enjoy. I definitely recommend as long as you remember to not overthink it and just have a good time. So head on over to a theatre and check it out.
Favourite Moment (Spoilers):
My favourite moment is when Dom uses the rope from a bride to swing himself and Letty across a body of water. It was super cool and fun to see.
Nathanyal: 9.0/10
Review:
For everyone here, I just want to say that I’m writing this review from the point of view of this being my first time watching anything from the Fast and Furious series. Prior to the movie, I did watch a 40-minute recap of everything, so I know the main gist of the series. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
As my first taste of this series, I have to say that the movie was pretty enjoyable to watch. It featured a fun and diverse cast, all with their own moments, and a good amount of comedy. I enjoyed the way the plot moved, and the way how the central theme of family was introduced was very interesting.
Now, I do have to say that I have a few gripes for this movie. From Seb, I was notified that this series was sometimes known as a popcorn film, meaning to get the full enjoyment of the movie, the best way to do that was to turn off your brain and just accept everything that happens on screen. While that sounds like a good plan, and Fast 9 is a good movie to do that, there are a few scenes where physics just don’t match up with what is happening. There are some areas where things are so over the top that it breaks my immersion.
Besides that small detail, I really did enjoy this movie overall. Watching how all the characters acted together was really interesting and I love their dynamic. The comedic trio of Roman, Tej, and Ransey was hilarious, and I really enjoyed the small jabs at Ramsey here and there. As a whole, I enjoyed both Dom’s group and the villains made of Jakob and Otto. Their interactions seem pretty natural, and it was fun watching them interact. Now, besides the characters, I also enjoyed how the theme of family weaved its way into the plot. It fit in nicely and it didn’t feel like was overly forced.
Overall, this was a fun movie to watch without prior viewing of the other movies. I have to say that the best way to enjoy this movie is to turn your brain off, because there are moments where nothing really makes sense and you have to roll with it.
Favourite Moment (Spoilers):
My favourite part of the movie is when Ransey and Tej mess with Roman throughout the movie. These small comedic breaks help break apart the heavy action scenes and are a breath of fresh air.
