Blaine: I saw “Fast & Furious 9." This was supposed to be released last year, but COVID messed up it’s schedule and the excitement had to wait. The people who make these movies know how to continue making the franchise interesting and show things fans haven’t seen yet.
For one, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris launch themselves into space using a newly designed vehicle that almost looks like something out of “Back to the Future.” Paul Walker said “Cars don’t fly in “Furious 7.” Two movies later, they do.
They also continue to explain new things about the lead character of the franchise, Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel. The characters even like to play with new toys and give their vehicles an upgrade.
Justin Lin directed “Fast and Furious” 4,5,6, then he stepped away and let James Wan and F. Gary Gray direct 7 and 8. Now Justin Lin returns to continue the “Fast and Furious” franchise by directing number 9.
A lot of familiar faces fans know and love have returned. Dwayne Johnson didn’t return though. Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel have been having trouble getting along, and it makes it hard for them to work together. That’s why he’s not in the ninth movie. Dwayne’s character, Hobbs, has gone his separate ways from Toretto and the group, but maybe he’ll be with them again in the future. And just because you don’t see Hobbs with the “Fast & Furious” group doesn’t mean you won’t see him anymore. I mean “Fast & Furious” gave Hobbs his own movie two years earlier, “Hobbs & Shaw.”
Both Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson are the muscle of these movies. “Fast and Furious 9” gave Vin Diesel a new character to deal with who’s muscle is equal to his. Like Dwayne Johnson, John Cena started off as a wrestler and then switched to acting. Jon plays Vin Diesel’s brother and there’s a backstory that explains what happened between them.
John Cena and Dwayne Johnson have gone up against each other in a wrestling match. If Dwayne Johnson was in “F9” there would be a rematch.
The character Han, who was introduced in the third movie, “Tokyo Drift” returns. The character was believed to have been killed off when they showed the mid-credit ending to the sixth movie. He was in a car crash and then the car exploded. For seven years I thought we would never see Han again, but turns out he faked his death. It’s no surprise he’s alive because it was already revealed in the trailer for “F9." Han is also not the first character in the “Fast and Furious” franchise who everyone thought was dead. Michellle Rodriguez’s character, Letty, was believed to be dead for a year and a half. Like Han, she was in a car crash and the car exploded. The last time fans saw Han, he was going through a difficult time because he just lost his woman, who we know today as Wonder Woman. Then there was the accident, but he’s alive and has been doing well. He found someone to look after and raise.
Another person I never thought I would see again is Jordan Brewster as Dominic Toretto’s sister, Mia. Mia is also the late Paul Walker’s love interest and it’s hard to imagine her without Paul Walker right next to her. Mia has been left out of the fun half of the time. Around the time the franchise was getting exciting, Mia was becoming a mother. She did get to have a ride in the sixth movie with Paul Walker by her side. She was left out of the last movie because she was raising a family. Paul Walker would usually be the one heading off with Vin Diesel on a mission while Mia would stay at home watching the baby. This time it’s her turn. “F9” is about dealing with someone who is the same blood as you, and Dominic can’t handle his brother Jakob alone. Mia looks like she’s been upgraded for the ninth installment. She looks as though she is a secret agent, and why wouldn’t she because she is working with a team that take down highly professional bad guys.
Ramsey, the computer genius, has been in a lot of extreme situations ever since she was first introduced into the “Fast and Furious” franchise. She’s always been the passenger, never the driver. The gang has to go after a driver, and Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris are busy fighting henchman, so Ramsey has to be the one behind the wheel, and she can’t drive. She’s crashes into a lot of cars and it’s terrible, but the upside is she is doing a good job at keeping up with the target.
A lot of serious damage is caused while trying to stop the bad guy’s plan. I can’t tell if the damage is more serious than what fans have seen in the previous movies. Hopefully the people who’s cars were damage have insurance LOL. Businesses were also damaged. There’s a massive amount of action as much as there is damage. The action is what makes these movies exciting. Even if it cost millions in damage.
Charlize Theron was the main villain in the last “Fast and Furious” movie, and then she disappeared. Her disappearance meant we were going to be seeing her again in the next movie. You don’t see as much of her in this new movie because what Dominic is dealing with is a family issue. It’s more of a cameo. She’s also more mysterious in “F9.”
Helen Mirren makes another cameo as a professional thief, who is really good with her hands. We’ve seen her character twice before, and Vin Diesel likes to have a talk with her alone. Helen Mirren is an experienced dramatic actor, but she has proven to everyone that she can live life to the extreme after seeing her in “Red.” Even at 75, Helen Mirren likes to have a good time with the big boys, Vin Diesel and Jason Statham.
“Fast and Furious” celebrates it’s 20th anniversary this year. What better way to celebrate than with a new movie? It’s amazing how far “Fast and Furious” has come since the beginning. Universal has managed to make 9 movies and that’s because fans love the franchise so much. We’ve seen it go through changes, and you’ve gotten to know the characters more and feel something for them. The newer movies are big box office hits. The franchise has also had a loss when one of it’s main actors, Paul Walker, was killed in a car crash. They managed to figure out how to continue the franchise without Paul. His character still lives in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, you just don’t get to see his face.
Now to wait for “Fast and Furious 10.” The story isn’t over yet, but the franchise will soon come to an end.
