The blueprint for ‘F9’, the ninth chapter in the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise (10th if you include ‘Hobbes & Shaw’) is really quite simple; less logic, more entertainment. I mean, the cheese has never, EVER been piled as high as it is here, and depending on your tolerance level, it’s either glorious or cringe worthy. I personally opt for the latter (because, hey, there’s always room for ridiculousness), but this much is clear – it’s good fun. Brainless, yes. But good fun.
In between one outlandish stunt after another is a plot, and it’s a really, really thin one. Jakob (John Cena), the long lost brother of series regular Dominic (Vin Diesel) re-surfaces, and he’s quite pissed at his sibling, teaming up with a billionaire playboy to take over the world via a device called Aries that will give them the ability to hack into any global weapons system. For whatever reason…and honestly, we stopped asking exactly WHY this particular group was involved in international security issues long ago….Dominic and his team (a motley crew including Michelle Rodrigues, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Nathalie Emmanuel) is tasked with finding the duo and stopping them. Along the way, they have to include dame Helen Mirren in the ride because, well….it’s Helen Mirren. The likes of Charlize Theron and Kurt Russell are also involved. Why? I don’t know. C’mon, why ASK why??
Oh, and they go to space. But perhaps that’s a spoiler alert, so……
Here’s what I DO know. ‘F9’ is all about the spectacle; those elaborate stunts that probably aren’t possible if we sit and weigh out the physics, but are so darn fun to watch anyway. It’s full throttle popcorn entertainment that makes darn sure whatever you paid for the snacks and admission ticket is worth it. If you’re heading to the theater for an escape from reality……..here ya go. You’re welcome.
