F9: The Fast Saga

Details: Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Charlize Theron

MPAA Rating- PG:13

Release Date: June 25, 2021

Pros: I've always been an avid supporter of the Fast and Furious franchise. Although many of their movies aren't the best or even good for that matter, they always provided a good time with your friends. In terms of the pros, there aren't very many. Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris are the two characters that really jump out to me. They provide very solid comic relief and have great chemistry which really carries a large portion of the movie. There are some side characters who are somewhat funny I guess. Some of the cinematography was well-done and the lighting was also utilized well specifically in the scenes in Tokyo. That's really everything good in this movie.

Cons: I am very aware that the Fast Franchise requires every viewer to go into their movies with zero logic or even the slightest scientific thoughts. As soon as you go into the movie with a critical lens everything falls apart. Regardless, these movies always had clear themes of family and sticking together which were the hallmark of these movies. That and Vin Diesel of course. Yet in Fast 9, the flaws of the franchise really start to show. For starters, the franchise has been so gung ho on family and never leaving family behind, yet at the beginning of the movie, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez just leave their son behind for the entirety of the movie. Not only that but is it really plausible to believe that all of Dom's "friends" and "family" have never once mentioned the fact that he had a brother in the 8 previous movies that there were. The entire reason for the two brothers being estranged is so petty and doesn't even make any sense when you truly look at it. To add to these many flaws, the lack of Dwayne the Rock Johnson and Jason Statham as Hobbs and Shaw (respectively) is very apparent. I never realized how integral the Rock's character is in the franchise but he really is an important aspect in these movies. The writing, most of the acting, and the plot, all were very very poor and jumbled together. The villain, if you can even call John Cena that, was very weak and terribly written. Charlize Theron as Cypher also made zero impact on the film. I literally forgot she was there sometimes. Even the action, which has always been really well done, has just boiled down to science fiction. This leads me to my biggest problem with the movie. These may be spoilers for those of you who haven't seen the trailers! Fast 9 has officially moved genres from a cheesy, blockbuster action flick, to a science-fiction movie. Whether it's Han magically coming back to life after faking his death in a car explosion all the way back in Fast 6, or Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris going to space in a Pontiac, it is clear that the writers really did not care about anything that was going on in the movie. The entire movie honestly felt like a massive parody of the other Fast and Furious movies. Even if you completely ignore the numerous, numerous plot holes in the film, there is only so much logic I can throw out the window before the movie just becomes downright ridiculous. We already know that there will be a Fast 10 and potentially the 11th movie as well which honestly would have excited me before I saw this movie.

Star Rating: 4/10

Final Thoughts: Riddled with plot holes, terrible writing, plot points that make no sense, no emotional attachment to the characters, and complete genre bouncing, Fast 9 is a clear reminder of why the Fast and Furious franchise should have ended after Fast and Furious 7. I truly pray that the next few movies are a bit better.