If the “Fast and Furious” movies are about anything
— besides cars, of course — it’s family. Not biological kinship, as Dom Toretto
(
Vin Diesel), the franchise’s patriarch, older brother, wise uncle, and ideal
husband, never tires of reminding his crew, but the deep ride-or-die bonds of
loyalty and solidarity.
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That’s the sentimental core of the series, and “F9,” the
latest chapter (named after everyone’s favorite laptop key), leans into it so
hard you may wish you had a chart to remind you who is who and how they’re all
connected. A lot of familiar faces show up — Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson,
and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, of course — along with a few that fans might not
expect to see. No spoilers here! There are also some notable absences, several
out-of-the-blue cameos (is that you, Cardi B?) and new family members to get to
know.
One of these is Dom’s brother, Jakob, played in early
manhood by Finn Cole (alongside Vinnie Bennett as pre-Diesel Dom) and in macho
middle age by John Cena. The two were estranged after a family tragedy, and
more than 30 years later the embittered Jakob has become an international
techno-villain employed by a sneering, megalomaniacal rich guy named Otto (Thue
Ersted Rasmussen). Otto, whose father is the dictator of an unspecified Eastern
European country, is eager to acquire a gizmo that will bring him
world-dominating powers and paternal approval.
As was the case with the “Avengers” Infinity Stones and the
Harry Potter horcruxes, the gadget needs to be assembled from far-flung parts:
two miniature geodesic domes and a mysterious “key” to unlock their terrible
power. Accordingly, much of “F9” is a busy chase, with Dom and his pals
pursuing the competition all over the world — Tbilisi, Cologne, London, Tokyo —
and even into orbit. The engines whine, the tires squeal, and the laws of
physics are flouted with an impunity that would make Chuck Jones proud.
The spirit of Wile E. Coyote hovers over the action, which
splits the difference between preposterous and sublime. Giant magnets are
deployed in midair and in city traffic. Vehicles skid, slam, swerve, and fly.
Flashbacks to Dom and Jakob’s early years wielding wrenches in their dad’s pit
crew at a blue-collar California racetrack recall the origins of the “Fast and
Furious” universe in a simpler style of action filmmaking.
The director Justin Lin, happily brandishing all the
expensive digital tools at his disposal, makes “F9” feel scrappy and baroque at
the same time. The identity of the brand rests on twin foundations of silliness
and sincerity, both of which are honored here.
Diesel, a rigorously humorless
on-screen presence, plays Dom as the designated man of feeling, with a history
of grief and sorrow resting on his ripped shoulders. Rodriguez’s Letty is his
platonic partner in sorrow. Ludacris and Tyrese are the cartoonish court
jesters, whose banter provides a running metacommentary on what the whole
series means.
Not that it really needs explaining. “F9” is only the second
movie I’ve seen outside of my house since early 2020, and the first in a
semi-full theater. People clapped at the end of some of the over-the-top action
sequences, laughed at the corny jokes and maybe felt something when Cena and
Diesel worked out their sibling issues. I certainly did, and not entirely in spite
of myself either. There are certainly better movies in the world, including
better “Fast and Furious” movies, but this one is not a bad reminder of what
movies are for.
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