F9: The Fast Saga 2021 [alternative name F9] by AverageMansReviews

F9: The Fast Saga 2021 [alternative name F9] by AverageMansReviews

Review Time

Warning: there is flashing effects/colourful effects/shooting/burning/torture

A flash from Dominic, Mia and Letty's history comes back: [Child: Dominic Toretto Vincent Sinclair - Diesel's real life son/Teen: Dominic Dominic Toretto Vinnie Bennet/Adult: Dominic "Dom" Toretto Vin Diesel] has to get his family/crew together to stop his and Mia Toretto's [Younger: Siena Agudong/Adult: Jordana Brewster] brother: Jakob Toretto [Younger: Finn Cole/Adult Jakob Toretto Rogue Agent for Intelligence Operative: John Cena] from putting Project Aries together, because if they don't the world will be in deep trouble. On a quick side note/full disclosure I didn't see this individual in this film, but I have been reassured by looking on the cast list Bad Bunny as Lookout; alongside his music/acting career he has also dipped his toe into the world of the WWE and wrestling for them.

The pacing of this 143 minutes film is constructed to smoothly deliverer a lot of content.

Well let's just get down to business; let's take this one by one because on every single level we have problems so storyline: I am pretty sure in the first ever film title The Fast and the Furious 2001 and there are some dialogue exchanges to Dom's background and brother, which in turn beautifully sets me up to make a follow-up point. So let me get this right this film expects its fan base to remember some dialogue exchanges which I can't fully remember but something in the back of my memory is comfortably telling me this happens, but then to remember them just a very short two decades later [yes I am being sarcastic here] is politely taking the mickey. So just two decades later we get an origin storyline on the Toretto family and long-term surrounding characters, it has just dawned on me that the title of this film F9: The Fast Saga is actually on one hand telling you precisely what it is, because it is a saga, whilst on the other hand taking the mickey out of its fan base on what I have just said and on top of that, at no point in the recent films have they ever done any of the legwork to build up this potential incoming character, you know put in a little bit of mystery on this man potentially standing in the shadow or anything subtle Yes I have said the pacing and the construction is basically designed to do its job, but this is way too much content and no this is not the only time I will be making reference to too much content in one way or another, but I digress back to here  and now; they could have easily made two films out of this one film and really give it time to breathe as two prequels and just attach them before the first one in 2001.

Moving on but very much connected to the storyline generally speaking, because they haven't done any of that legwork or indication of Jakob, it does feel like they have just conveniently just try to slot him into place which I know this is precisely what they have done, but you know it has that kind of squeezing/slotting him into place it doesn't feel natural, it comes off awkward from the perspective of okay so we are meant to have a connection to this character now and that goes for Dominic, Mia and Letty as well.

But we have more alongside that we still have Roman Pearce [Tyrese Gibson,] and Tej Parker [Chris Bridges] with or without Ramsey [Nathalie Emmanuel] in the scene still doing this comedy, which I have to say now is most definitely running on dry as it relates to its comedic value. I mean I laughed once and it wasn't because of them directly; in short we have Earl [Jason Tobin] and Lucas Black [Sean Boswell] having is slightly unsettling conversation about this plan not working with Parker and Pearce being able to hear this over this communication system in fact Parker points this out that we can still hear you or something to that effect. The performances based on everything I have said are generally speaking solid versions of what they were going for here.

The action and art: at some point I have made reference to or something to the effect in this franchise; go bigger or go home. Now there is a problem with using this outlook and method even the person I watched this film with I am paraphrasing here; these action sequences are too unbelievable and I would have to concur with that, don't get me wrong some of these action sequences looked on the right side of big, smart, imaginative and fit in nicely, okay a little bit insane, but highly entertaining so consequently it works.  So briefly right at the beginning of this sequence we have Letty [ Younger: Azia Dinea Hale/Adult: Michelle Rodriguez] riding this motorcycle which is a pleasantly welcome little piece of variety, but moving on to the end of this sequence when we have a car driven by Jakob to drive off this cliff to be magnetically picked up by this aircraft piloted by Cipher[Charlize Theron,] because it is something that a criminal/villain would do for an example like from James Bond it works, when we have these massive magnets again being used on earth and Jakob escaping from rooftop to rooftop by the usage of this slip wire arrow gun [that is a rough description of the weapon being used here] and Dom giving chase. But however when we have Dom and Letty in his car; his car is like Tarzan on vines then there is one step too far actually no that is just one step, what would be one step too far would be putting a vehicle in outer space. No they wouldn't actually do this would they? Well yes considering I had made reference a minute ago about being on earth, but it takes the seriousness out of this film, granted yes from an artist it perspective it looks great as it relates to seeing the world from outer space, but the rest of it gets a no from me. I mean I would have bought more into it, if it was somewhere sensible that fine line between going into outer space like William Shatner it on Wednesday 13/10/ 2021 and then coming down again, but section of the film gets a no from me, yet again from an outside perspective the underwater sequences look great as well.

This film receives: 5/10, this film is mixed; originally I was going to give it is slightly higher mark, but on reflection I decided to go with this mark, because there are just so many problems with this film, I know I have made reference to this; but they really, really should have done some legwork as it relates to bringing this family member in, just to cover my back if there are any other references to this person that I haven't mentioned or have forgot, I honestly don't care, if they aren't going to do the work, why should I do the work for them, I mean he isn't either a small part of Dom's make up the person he is a giant part of who Dom becomes and is. I mean without Luke Hobbs [Dwayne Johnson] or a miniature role for Deckard Shaw [Jason Statham] individually or together being able to naturally and sometimes simultaneously being serious and comical, it feels like there is a giant hole in this film as I have also referenced the comedy without these two characters has very much ran its course. I am of the strong belief now that, between these two characters they were covering up the fact that this franchise is turning into a house of cards. Which because I am aware that more instalments coming from this franchise, I am just really hoping they take the time to freshen things up and move things on as every franchise must do now and again to stay relevant and relatively popular or if I was to be cynical for two minutes if this was an attempt of doing this right here with this title I would consider it to be a case of holy hell, get back on track immediately with title which should be Fast X 2023, Tried to make lemonade out of this massive lemon and yes there is one extra scene at the end of the first lot of ending credits. Yes this film has some awards accredited to it and no not all of them are positive either; 2 Winners that included; Chinese American Film Festival (C.A.F.F.) 2021 Golden Angel Award Most Popular U.S. Film in China. 12 Nominees that include here are majority from one award ceremony/event People's Choice Awards, USA 2021 People's Choice Awards Favorite Male Movie Star John Cena, Favorite Male Movie Star Vin Diesel, Favorite Female Movie Star Charlize Theron, Favorite Action Movie Star John Cena, Favorite Action Movie Star Vin Diesel and Favorite Action Movie Star Charlize Theron. Golden Schmoes Awards 2022 Worst Movie of the Year.