IN the action-packed fantasy world of Dominic Toretto where reality-defying car stunts and fight scenes take centre stage, the execution of these high-octane set pieces is what drives fans back for more.
It also means that each addition to the franchise will inevitably try to one-up the previous movies.
This definitely seems to be the case with the latest Fast & Furious offering, F9: The Fast Saga.
Directed by Justin Lin, the movie speeds from one ludicrous action sequence to the next in a “getting the job done” approach, rather than making a fun action movie like Furious 7.
After being around for two decades, F9 first takes the audience on a peaceful car ride to Dominic Toretto’s (Diesel) quiet life off the grid with Letty (Rodriguez) and his son, Little Brian.
While Dom finally has some peace and comfort, danger creeps up on him and lures him to confront the sins of his past if he wants to save those he loves the most.
As Dom join forces with his crew to halt a world-shattering plot, he reunites with his estranged brother, Jakob (Cena), who happens to be (drum roll, please) the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver the team has met to date!
This is a super hard sell considering Cena’s Jakob is nowhere near as charismatic and badass as Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw.
Undeniably, Lin has made the franchise famous globally since joining the team in 2006, and directing three previous films.
However, this project reflected his lack of creativity considering how several elements in this film seemed forced and empty.
To illustrate, its narrative showcased a rather cringy, slow-paced backstory and a plot that made me wince throughout the movie, especially during bits where the characters were spewing the word “FAMILY” over and over again.
To top it off, the dialogue was not intriguing enough to keep my attention to the very end.
While the star-studded line-up looked exciting, some of the performances were disappointing.
Diesel’s forced machismo and threatening expression looked comical, whereas Theron’s performance this time seemed unnatural as she was trying too hard to be villainous.
Under Lin’s direction, Cena’s character can be summed up as constipated, which is a shame because we’ve seen in The Suicide Squad what he can do with better material and direction.
As the movie progresses, several ridiculous storylines start to surface. From Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) sitting in a car that is launched into space, to the convoluted explanation of Han’s (Sung Kang) return from the grave.
Despite these flaws, Han’s return will surely warm your heart, especially if you have been following the series from the start. There are also a few surprise appearances in this film that will make you smile.
This sequel could have certainly used James Wan’s touch to leave more impact on the audience.
F9 is out in theatres now.
