Review: F9: The Fast Saga

As promised, F9: The Fast Saga delivers big-dumb popcorn fun. Fueled with over-the-top action sequences, F9 keeps this series moving. I had a good time seeing it on the big screen with my family and, in the end, that’s all that matters.

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 What is there to say about F9? A cheesy, over-the-top action flick from a (somehow) 20-year-old franchise. My expectations were low for this film, and I came away mostly satisfied. I knew what to expect from this car racing turned spy thriller series — there was going to be nonstop action sequences, corny dialogue, a soap opera plot line, and Vin Diesel saying the word "family" about a hundred times throughout the movie. That's exactly what F9 was, just with a little more brainless action sequences and the word "family" was used on steroids. I personally think that this series should have ended on a high note with 2015's Furious 7, sending the late Paul Walker out on a swan song, but here we are, six years later, still chugging along.

This time around, Dom Toretto (Diesel) is living a quiet life off the grid with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his son, Brian. Cue, the evil bad brother, Jakob (John Cena), who is out terrorizing the world. Dom's past has finally caught up with him, so it's up to him and his team (Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Nathalie Emmanuel) to go out on a new mission and stop Jakob. See, the plot is kind of like a bad soap opera — Dom's long-lost brother Jakob has shown up out of thin air and is doing bad guy things. Yet, I can admit, that I was never bored with this film and the crazy action sequences kept me engaged. Director Justin Lin (who has directed a majority of these movies) uses his signature film trait of stunts and thrills, but this time he has turned the dial up to 11. My younger siblings had a blast seeing it in theaters, and I had a great time seeing it with them too.

So, with all of F9's flaws and eye rolls, I was entertained the entire time. F9 is definitely not the best Fast and Furious movie (looking at you, Fast Five), but it is also not the worst Fast and Furious movie either (looking at you, 2 Fast 2 Furious). For me, this movie comes in about mid-tier for the franchise. Universal says that it's making two more of these movies (10 and 11) and then calling it quits. But I will believe that when I see it. Of course, if Universal does decide to call it quits to the franchise's main storyline, then they are going to go crazy with the spin-offs. In the end, F9 rocks and rolls through the streets, with cars blazing and some even flying off to space. F9 also did give Han's (Sung Kang) character justice and a nice comeback, which I did appreciate. Gravity and logic went out the window for this franchise a long time ago. All in all, F9 delivered just enough brainless fun and action to keep me satisfied.

Want to hear more of my thoughts about F9, check this podcast review with my friends, Matt & Ashley, on their website, mashleymovies.com.

F9 is rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) Language | Action | Sequences of Violence.

Directed by Justin Lin

Starring "The Family" (Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Sung Kang, Dame Helen Mirren, Finn Cole, Vinnie Bennett, and Kurt Russell).