F9: The Fast Saga (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Universal
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Rating: PG-13
Film: 2.5/5
 
Plot
Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) thought he’d left his outlaw life in the rear-view mirror, but not even he can outrun the past. When his forsaken brother Jakob (John Cena, Bumblebee) unexpectedly resurfaces as an elite assassin, the crew comes back together to help Dom confront the sins of his own past and stop a world-shattering plot.
 
My Thoughts
I’ve seen every Fast and Furious movie over the years and to say they’ve evolved would be an understatement. The first few films dealt with street racing in various locales but somewhere along the line in the 9-film saga (10 if you count Hobbs & Shaw) they became a cross between Mission Impossible, James Bond, The Bourne films. I will say this, they’ve been able to keep it interesting but man of man, they’ve gotten more and more unbelievable along the way.
 
This really takes it up a notch on the unbelievability scale. In fact, it’s gotten so bad that they’ve written it into the actual plot with one character believing he’s completely invincible and nothing can stop him! Furthermore, in the FF universe, you can’t really ever die because two popular characters have been brought back from the dead (one in a previous film and the second in this one), but Brian (Paul Walker) is still referred to in film as being “retired” after his untimely and tragic death in 2013.
 
While this is definitely mindless fun, I have to admit I laughed-out-loud multiple times during the film because of the completely implausible stunts. Just because you can do something with CGI doesn’t mean you HAVE to do it! It’s these instances that completely ruined the experience for me because I think they took it just too far. Furthermore, the villain (Cena) seems miscast to me and as my wife said, he’s no substitute for Dwayne Johnson.
 
One thing’s for sure, the A/V quality is nothing to complain about. The visuals are excellent although it’s easy to tell when CGI is being employed. Colors are bold and bright, shadows are well resolved, and detail is excellent. The Dolby Atmos track is just what you’d expect—loud, raucous, and features plenty of LFE.
 
 
Video 9/10
 
Audio 9.5/10 (Dolby Atmos)
 
Special Features:
 

• Gag Reel
• F9: All In
• Practically Fast
• Shifting Priorities
• Justice for Han
• A Day on Set with Justin Lin
• John Cena: Supercar Superfan
• Feature Commentary
• 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

 

 
 
Conclusion
I believe there is such thing as too much and that’s where this franchise has gone. It’s a bit too over-the-top and if/when they make the tenth installment, maybe they should call it F10 – Keeping it Real, because there are so many implausible moments that become a distraction to what would otherwise be an enjoyable film. Furthermore, at 142 minutes, it’s too damn long. If you’re looking for an A/V spectacle, then this will be right up your alley.
 
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion F110 Subwoofer x 2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

I agree that the stunts were laugh out loud over the top but, this isn't anything new with this franchise. It didn't take me out of the movie per se but, I was able to get past it. I liked it slightly more than you but, at the end of the day it's all good mindless entertainment fun buddy.


Regards,

[David Vaughn]

Greetings,

I agree that the stunts were laugh out loud over the top but, this isn't anything new with this franchise. It didn't take me out of the movie per se but, I was able to get past it. I liked it slightly more than you but, at the end of the day it's all good mindless entertainment fun buddy.


Regards,

I went back and forth between 2.5 and 3, but ultimately decided on the 2.5 because it was a bit too much. One or two crazy stunts is OK, but endless streams of them made it more of a comedy than an action film. 

[bmoney]

10000% popcorn flick. Can’t believe how far fetched they have become (if they already weren’t there) lol. It’s almost become a comedy first 

[claw]

I haven't watched this yet but Justin Lin also directed my favorite; Tokyo Drift.

[David Vaughn]

I haven't watched this yet but Justin Lin also directed my favorite; Tokyo Drift.

I need to revisit that one. I've seen it once and didn't like it, but maybe I was in a bad mood or something. 

[claw]

I need to revisit that one. I've seen it once and didn't like it, but maybe I was in a bad mood or something.

Definitely the odd one out of the bunch.  But that is part of why I like it.

[bmoney]

Eww. Yeah I also thought Tokyo drift was the worst one   To each his own though

[Paul Heroy]

TBH, this kind of movie isn't the most appealing to me... but I like cars and after seeing Ford vs Ferrari and a couple of other more "real" car/racing movies I decided to give it a shot. So I bought the 8 movie set when it came out and went on sale a couple of years ago. I prefer the street racing roots of the first few movies before Dwayne Johnson got involved and made it into a "car superhero" franchise. There are some fun scenes and lines at times but that's about all I can say for most of them, and some didn't even have enough of that. The Hobbs & Shaw one was probably the most enjoyable from that perspective. 

[bmoney]

Also too many “this person died” and miraculously are alive now. The street racing part was actually slightly believable lol