F9: The Fast Saga Movie Review - Goofy Fast-Paced Action

In F9: The Fast Saga, Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto is laying low living on a quiet farm with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his son little Brian but the crew is called back into action when a dangerous device that can control other weaponized electronics is stolen by an unsavory crew. Is arch nemesis Cipher (Charlize Theron) involved? Seemingly leading the baddies is Jakob (John Cena), Dom’s fast-driving, ass-kicking, estranged brother whom he has blamed for their race-driver dad’s death since way back in 1989. Can the F&F crew stop Jakob and his henchmen and will the brothers ever reconcile?

Dom and Letty are wary of farm visitorsCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Family Tragedy

It’s 1989, and stock car racer Jack Toretto (JD Pardo) is in the last race of the season with his sons Dominic (Vinnie Bennett) and Jakob (Finn Cole) on his pit crew. While Jakob works on dad’s car, Dom argues with rival racer Kenny Linder (Jim Parrack) about his dirty tactics on the track. During the race, Kenny’s car clips Jack’s bumper and causes him to hit a wall, burst into flames and explode, killing him. Dom runs onto the track but is held back by Buddy (Michael Rooker) friend and crew member. Dom and Jakob mourn their father's death.

Letty ready to rumbleCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Off the Grid

Now, Dom (Vin Diesel) is retired and off the grid on a farm, raising his son Brian with his wife, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) arrive with news that Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) caught Cipher but his plane crashed and she was grabbed by rogue agents in Central America. Will Dom and Letty come investigate the crash site? Letty will. Dom refuses at first but decides to join them after all. They find the plane and also part of a device called Aries which, when whole, can control any computer weapons system on Earth if you can find the key. They take the device but are attacked by a mercenary army and Jakob who, after a wild, near-impossible chase, grabs the device and escapes.

Where is the darn bridge?Courtesy of Universal Pictures

In Deep

Flashback to 1989, after the car crash, driver Kenny Linder pays his respects to Jack. He tangles with young Dom, who nearly beats him up and gets arrested as Jakob watches. In the present, Jakob meets with Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen), his associate. Cipher is being held in a glass cage at their base. She tries to convince Jakob to work for her, but he declines. She tells him the other half of Aries is in Edinburgh, Scotland but if Dom is involved, he’ll never get it.

Cipher tries to recruit Jakob to work for herCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Dom and the team are joined by Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), who wants to help since Jakob is her brother too. She and Letty reassure Dom that their children are safe with Brian (who was played by the late Paul Walker). The team learns that old pal Han (Sung Kang) thought to be dead, has been working with Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). The team splits up, with Dom going to LA to track down Jakob.

Dom is determined to bring Jakob to justiceCourtesy of Universal Pictures

In Search of Jakob

Flashback to1991, getting out of jail, Dom recalls that Jakob was working on Jack's car the day he died, and realizes that Jakob is responsible for his death. Young Dom goes to the LA street racing scene, where Jakob has been winning every race. Dom confronts and challenges him and after, Jakob leaves town, with only Mia keeping in contact with him. Now, Dom meets with Buddy, who took Jakob in after Jack’s death. Buddy berates Dom for taking away Jakob’s family, and tells him to make peace with the past, informing him that Jakob is in London.

Letty and Dom narrowly escape Jakob's mercenary armyCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Splitting Up

Letty and Mia arrive in Tokyo to search for Han, while Roman and Tej arrive in Germany to get fast cars from Sean (Lucas Black), Twinkie (Bow Wow) and Earl Hu (Jason Tobin), who have been working on a rocket car.

The team building rocket carsCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Dom arrives in London and meets Queenie Shaw (Helen Mirren), who is heisting jewels and gives him Jakob's location. Dom confronts Otto, and then Jakob, who tells Dom to leave. Otto has Dom apprehended by Interpol agents. Leysa (Cardi B), an old friend of Dom, helps him escape and gives him Jakob’s gun, so he can track him with his biometric imprints. In Tokyo, Letty and Mia meet Elle (Anna Sawai) who helps them fight off thugs and find Han.

Ramsey, Tej and Roman prepare to fightCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Scottish Stunts

Tej, Roman and Ramsey meet with Dom in Edinburgh, where Jakob is using  electromagnetic fields with controls in various trucks to disrupt security systems in order to steal the second half of the Aries device. Tej and Roman find one magnetic device and fight their way out, with Ramsey, who can’t drive, commandeering the truck one magnet is attached to to chase Otto. Meanwhile, Dom notices Jakob zip-lining between buildings and intercepts him. The two fight throughout the city, while Otto prepares for an extraction, until Ramsey runs his car off the road. Jakob tries to escape by stealing a car, but Dom uses the magnet in the truck stop him.

Ramsey drives the electromagnet vanCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Revelations

Otto decides to work with Cipher. At the Toretto safe house, Jakob is held in a cell. Han reveals that he was assigned by Mr. Nobody to protect Aries and found Elle as a kid when her scientist parents were killed. She, or her DNA, is actually the key. Han faked his death to protect her. Otto attacks the safe house and frees Jakob who reveals that in 1989, Jack had been in massive debt and was planning to fake his death in the race to give his family a better life. He had Jakob tamper with his car, but the plan went awry, causing the car to explode. Jakob and Otto kidnap Elle and take the second Aries device.

Mia, Han and Elle in the final chaseCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Final Plan

Jakob plans to launch a satellite into orbit and upload the Aries device information into it. He can then control other satellites and computer-controlled weapons all over the world. Otto betrays Jakob in favor of Cipher and it’s a huge race that involves more cars with electro magnets and a launch into space in a rocket car to stop the upload and destroy the satellite.  Will Jakob and Dom be able to work together and make up? Can the team rescue Elle? Will Cipher win?

Tej and Roman in space in the rocket carCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Wrapping Up

If you like totally unbelievable popcorn movie stunt action with an attempt at family drama thrown in, this might be your fave Fast & Furious yet.  For fans of the long series of films who can suspend disbelief and accept things like a home-made rocket car safely flying outside the Earth’s atmosphere, you go for it! There are enough crazy cliffhanger moments to make you lean forward in your seat so at least you won’t be bored.

Dom and crew try to stop the electromagnet truckCourtesy of Universal Pictures

Storywise, the movie tries hard to weave an estranged brothers story into a crazy plot out of an early James Bond movie. One also wants to yell at the writers/filmmakers “Yes we know FAMILY means everything to this team. We get it! You don’t have to tell us every few minutes!”

Dom and brother Jakob hold an old grudgeCourtesy of Universal Pictures

We did enjoy watching a lot of the crazy action so we can award three stars. It does seem that the franchise should be coming to an end. They’ve gotten a little too far into pure fantasy territory.

F9: The Fast Saga Movie Rating: 

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

See F9: The Fast Saga in theaters now.