'F1' Deserves the Checkered Flag title_ext

From the director of Top Gun: Maverick comes F1: The Movie, a fast-paced racing drama that races past its generic sports underdog plot to score a crowd-pleasing checkered flag. It’s a movie that knows its mandate and delivers accordingly.

F1: The Movie looks and feels a lot like the Top Gun sequel–bright, polished, and full of headstrong competitors struggling to work together as a team, and push the powerful machines at their fingertips to the absolute limit. 

Joseph Kosinski, who has quietly established a strong and reliable directorial resume (his drama Only the Brave is criminally overlooked), trades out Tom Cruise for Brad Pitt, though Pitt is effectively playing the racecar driver version of Maverick. Pitt brings his movie star charm, playing the fearless and reckless over-the-hill driver who is seeking the victory that got away from him. To achieve such glory, he has to partner with a young and cocky hotshot (Damson Idris).

So, F1: The Movie is essentially Top Gun: Maverick without weapons. But if you’re looking for originality or nuance, best to move onto the next dealership.

As a movie that understands exactly what it is–a popcorn-consuming blockbuster meant to be seen, and felt, on the biggest screen possible–F1: The Movie revs its engines at all of the right moments. Pitt plays a likable and charismatic protagonist, the lightweight drama is easy to consume, and there’s some romance thrown in as well (Kosinki’s one miss: not enough sex).

Most importantly, Kosinski stuffs his movie with lots of racing action. F1: The Movie isn’t the shortest film out there, but it moves fast and furiously. Kosinski nails multiple high-tension racing sequences by putting the audience in the driver’s seat. The final race is particularly exciting, even though you pretty much know how it’ll end up.

It may not win any awards, but if you want to see Pitt smirk and smile and cars go really fast (and sometimes crash and burn), F1: The Movie is a full-throttle good time.

Review by Erik Samdahl.

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