Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most.
Since the franchise first endeared itself to audiences with the original “The Fast and the Furious” debut in 2001, each sequel seems to have outdone the previous version – certainly in terms of box office and perhaps critical acclaim as well. With much anticipation and fanfare, director Justin Lin clearly wants to push this latest installment to a whole other level.
The events unfold not unlike a “Mission: Impossible” premise. In this case, Vin Diesel as Dom and Michelle Rodriguez as Letty have settled into a quiet life on a farm. Their tranquil existence is quickly upended when members of the old gang show up with urgent news. Trouble looms on the horizon – a laptop displaying choppy, flickering images of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), either a CIA or ex-CIA handler, frantically pleading for help. As such, “F9” hints more of James Bond than reformed car thief Dominic Toretto. In due course, the FF team agrees to save the world from a cyber-device fifty years ahead of its time – safeguarded by separating the three components in different locations across the globe. The nasty machine has the ability to commandeer every computer on the planet and use it for its own ends – whether to launch nuclear missiles and siphon cash from bank accounts. Thus, the search for the three missing pieces of the apparatus begins.
A smarmy son of a dictator named Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen) shepherds the nefarious ploy with help from Dom’s younger brother Jakob (John Cena). We learn in a series of flashbacks that after Dom and Jakob had a falling out years before, little bro was compelled to become a freelance underworld operative. Cipher (Charlize Theron) serves as the brains behind Otto’s plot to control the planet – though apparently somewhat reluctantly, as she is held prisoner in a glass box suitable for the likes of Hannibal Lector or Raymond Reddington. Among other clever antics, Theron delivers a nice comeuppance to Otto’s intentionally irritating persona when her character Cipher compares the conniving future dictator to Yoda of “Star Wars” fame – and not in a good way.
For a movie so unrealistic that comic relief should infuse throughout, the relatively few moments in that department come from Tyrese Gibson as Roman, and Ludacris as Tej. Other welcome but rare shenanigans include Lucas Black and Jason Tobin, who play mischievous engineers developing a rocket-powered Pontiac Fiero (yes, seriously) that ultimately serves a key role in thwarting Otto’s and Cipher’s plans.
Despite the often oppressing special effects, the elements of family remain true to form. Rodriguez, always convincing, brings as much credibility to the outing as is likely possible. Jordana Brewster as Mia also offers a welcome presence. Some of the best scenes include flashbacks to Young Jacob (Finn Cole), Young Dom (Vinnie Bennett), Young Mia (Siena Agudong), and Young Letty (Azia Dinea Hale), filling in a backstory that predates the original “The Fast and the Furious” storyline.
Helen Mirren as Queenie makes a brief but welcome appearance in a tiny part of London Town stealing fine jewelry and impressing Dom with her savvy driving skills, as she evades the local constabulary. When she drops Dom off, she urges him to stay alive, because after all, he is her favorite American – backhanded praise coming from a snobby Brit, worth a chuckle.
Nonetheless, in far too many instances, the action descends into fast cuts involving cliché-ridden demonstrations of hand-to-hand combat against a seemingly endless armada of ruffians – reminiscent of the abhorrent “Quantum of Solace.” The split-second edits from so many different angles make following the choreographed tactics quite a chore – almost as if the fight sequences were tailored for viewers suffering from chronic ADHD.
Directed, co-written, and co-produced by Justin Lin (along with Vin Diesel and six others), this ninth run feels like a strained and failed attempt to raise the bar. Unfortunately, because CGI now makes all things possible, the impossible begins to look like just that – either ludicrous or worse, surprisingly tedious. During its nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime, only the goodwill built up over the years by Diesel and friends manages to salvage the contrived and highly derivative plot from the sheer ignominy it would otherwise deserve.
“F9” races into Theaters Friday, June 25th
