We’ve still got a while to go until we get to see Fast & Furious 9 AKA F9, but the first reviews and reactions to the latest entry in the long-running action movie saga are in, and they promise that it’s another unmissable ride. These initial responses to the film, from those who’ve caught early press screenings, are very positive, acknowledging the ridiculousness of the franchise at this stage in its lifespan but also stressing that F9 offers a ton of fun.
Vin Diesel’s Dominic Torreto is back along with his Fast family to face what could be his most personal foe yet, estranged brother Jakob (John Cena), who’s teamed up with one of the gang’s old enemies, Cipher (Charlize Theron, returning from The Fate of the Furious), and she’s out for revenge. Vin is joined by all the usual suspects – including Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Jordana Brewster – plus Sung Kang as fan favorite Han Lue. F9 will reveal that Han survived his death back in 2006’s Tokyo Drift, with fans eager to see how the film pulls that off.
Anyways, according to the first reactions, F9 is quite a ride, and you can see what folks are saying below:
#F9 is grandiose fun. Bombastic, brazen, bold. Supercharged stunts & ambitious action set pieces mix with combustible soap opera dramatics. It’s a cacophony car-crunching mayhem. Vin Diesel & John Cena are terrific. Tyrese is the stealth MVP. Plenty of gas left in the tank. pic.twitter.com/oi1gygUtQz
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) May 18, 2021
Expect “fresh & innovative” action.
I've seen #F9 and can say it's a TON OF FUN!! The action feels fresh & innovative, if not necessarily bigger. It weaves in John Cena's Jakob in a smart way that builds on the theme of family, giving it some real heart. This is ultimate Fast & Furious.
also HAN IS STILL GREAT!!! pic.twitter.com/SfLCBKsypR
— molly freeman (@mollyrockit) May 18, 2021
“The biggest & most ridiculous” one yet.
F9 is ~by far~ the biggest & most ridiculous Fast & Furious yet.
miles from the precision of Fast Five or the fun of Tokyo Drift, but with Justin Lin at the helm it feels like things are finally moving in the right direction. #JusticeForHan
my review: https://t.co/zv9a79Lc0h pic.twitter.com/ZU0nB7PqD4
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) May 18, 2021
Fans of Tokyo Drift are in for a treat.
#F9 had me smiling like a straight man at a sportball gathering.
It's all wink wink, nudge nudge, vroom vroom and I loved. The over-the-top set pieces you want + some old-school F1-2 vibes.
As for #JusticeForHan? There will be takes. But Tokyo Drift heads are in for a treat. pic.twitter.com/aPtTgnDJxF
— Joel Meares (@joelmeares) May 18, 2021
Some early reviews are also in, and Screen Daily writes that F9 is an “uncomplicated good time.”
“Gloriously ludicrous and stridently melodramatic, F9 is fuelled by its own goofy energy, delivering comically grandiose chase sequences and shameless fan service all in the name of giving audiences an uncomplicated good time.”
The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, says it’s all about the dynamic between Diesel and Cena’s warring brothers.
“The Fast and Furious films have become Mission: Impossible films. But F9 isn’t constructed around an exciting mission. It’s built around Vin Diesel and John Cena playing out the angst from the Toretto brothers’ past.”
And The Wrap thinks the movie offers audiences a reason to return to the multiplex with its “big, loud, exciting action.”
“For audiences who want their 2021 return to the multiplex to deliver big, loud, exciting action, F9 makes the cars go fast, jump high, and generally do the impossible. It’s exhilaratingly ridiculous, yes, but it’s also ridiculously exhilarating.”
Justin Lin is behind the camera for this one, his fifth in the saga and his first since 2013’s Fast & Furious 6. Lin is likewise due to helm the upcoming tenth film that’s currently in pre-production and is set to be the penultimate chapter in the saga, with the mainline Fast & Furious franchise finally set to conclude with its eleventh entry. In the meantime, F9 has its world premiere in South Korea this weekend before it’s released domestically on June 25th.
