F9: The Fast Saga - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

F9: The Fast Saga



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:

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Movie
My early 20s were filled with Fast and the Furious movies. I loved the first one as street racing heist film. The 2nd was utter trash, but Tokyo Drift wasn’t bad. However NO ONE expected the series to be revitalized when the 4th movie drew back in all the original actors. Vin Diesel has ALWAYS been the driving force behind the series, but after he sort of fell out of Hollywood’s leading action men his hunt his hat on the Fast and Furious franchise, pushing all sorts of leverage to get the next sequels greenlit. It seems to have worked out for him as the man’s wealth has literally tripled from these sequels alone, but the films have gotten more and more over the top as years go by. Paul Walker’s very untimely death almost derailed the 7th film being finished, but Diesel and crew were able to give the actor a good family sendoff with some CGI work and a relative of Walker.

Well, I’m officially certain that the series has jumped the shark….or in this case, submarine. Fate of the Furious was a HILARIOUSLY over the top campy mess, but it was fun. I wasn’t sure how they were going to top the insanity of Diesel literally jumping a submarine, and it seems like Justin Lin and everyone involved couldn’t figure out either. They somehow managed to cram in MORE old cast members (and some newer ones) than before, and made it even MORE ridiculous as they actually visit space (yes, the old joke that once a series has done an “in space” number, they’ve officially crossed the hill into geriatric). A feat that had me rolling my eyes and laughing myself silly at the same time.

Dom (Vid Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) have settled down in the middle of nowhere raising Dom’s son Brian in peace. However, their peaceful world is turned upside down when Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell, who shows up for all of 5 minutes at MOST) is shot down, and in the process a mysterious agency unleashes Cipher (Charlize Theron, who also is in the film for all of 5 minutes), the villainness of the previous movie. Not about to let things go down like that, Dom and Letty head out to meet up with Roman (Tyrese), Tej (Ludacris) to go rescue him. Unfortunately their little rescue scenario goes sideways when it’s learned that the “agent” who broke Cypher out is non other than Dom’s younger estranged brother, Jakob (John Cena). You know, the brother that Dom has never mentioned in 8 previous films, despite the fact that he waxes eloquent about family every movie?

Turns out that Cipher and Jakob are working for a megalomaniac who is out for world domination (how very Bondish of him), and they are tracking down a mysterious device that will give the owner a weapon the world has never seen. A weapon that can literally bring nations to heel and turn the world over in terms of power structure. Naturally Dom isn’t about to let this go, so he and crew decide to track Jakob down and stop things in their track. Being that Jakob is family, Jordanna Brewster reprises her role as Mia (with “Brian” staying home to watch their kid off screen), and pretty much so does most of the characters from the previous films outside of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (supposedly he’s backed out of any future movies as he and Diesel can’t seem to get along on set). Helen Mirren, Jason Statham, Lucas Black, Bow Wow, and even Han makes an appearance (the writers pretty much retcon his entire death in Tokyo Drift just cuz they can and fans wanted to see him).

The movie is so over the top and ridiculous it even tops Fate of the Furious for complete ridiculous overkill. There’s so many meta scenes that just telegraph to the audience that the powers that be are just thumbing their nose and having fun with it. Going to space pretty much clinches the deal though, and when Dom literally brings down pillars with giant chains and nothing but his bare muscles, I was quite literally bawling my eyes out laughing. Cena hams it up like usual, but this is the Dom show, and the series has finally come to a screeching halt with enjoyable disbelief. I had fun watching the movie, but after the painful Hobbs & Shaw, and now this, I’m theorizing that the 10th movie will be the last (although they’re trying to make a spinoff movie with Cipher in it for some reason...sigh).




Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language




4K Video: Video:

Shot on 35 mm film (for the most part) and then transferred to a 4K digital intermediate master, F9 looks great in 4K UHD. The film has a rather natural look to it, with bright colors, flashy dark levels and a glossy shine to it that looks almost digital in nature. The film can be grainy at times, but never overly so, and the depth of shadow details and HDR enhancements are impressive. Especially in the black levels where you see a LOT more detail in the darker shots. There’s some softness due to the copious use of CGI, but it’s all good at the end of the day as the 4K disc handily edges out the great looking Blu-ray disc. The flasbacks have a sort of desaturated and yellowed hue to them, with monochromatic colors and a heavier grain texture to them to make them stand out from the rest. All in all, a great looking 4K UHD disc for sure.







Audio:

One thing that has always stood out from the franchise is the incredible audio mixing. Marking itself as the first Atmos mix (all the previous 4K UHD discs have been DTS:X), the next gen audio mix (found on both the 4K UHD and the Blu-ray) is one of THE tracks of the year to beat. It’s incredible powerful, and one of the most dynamic mixes I’ve heard in years. The entire track is alive with directional shifts and cues, with the mix making you feel like you’re right in the heart of the chaos. Surrounds and overheads are used impeccably and quite vigorously, pounding away with roaring cars, screeching objects slamming into magnets, and a general sense of chaos that is intoxicating. I did notice that the dynamic range on the track is absolutely massive, allowing us whisper quiet dialog, only to be broken up with jaw dropping action scenes that rip the roof off. One thing that I must make note of is the bass. I’m NOT criticizing the bass at all, but I did notice that it wasn’t the bass bomb that previous films have been. Instead it is more subdued and balanced with the rest of the mix. At first I was grumbling and wondering why my subs weren’t tearing the wall down at every breath, after the first 30 minutes I started to really enjoy the low end. It’s there when needed, and it can literally lift you out of the seat with it’s sheer power, but it also knows when to add subtle emphasis to scenes, as well as fade into the background when needed. Again, I must emphasize that this is NOT a negative. The bass is gut wrenching and powerful, but so impeccably balanced that it stands out as “unique” in the rest of the Fast and Furious franchise simply due to the fact that the rest of the series are bass bombs. Great mix, great bass, and frankly, one of THE audio mixes of the year to beat.





Extras:

• GAG REEL
• F9: ALL IN: The Fast family invites you to be part of the crew as they give you an intimate look at how F9 propels this epic franchise to even greater heights. This bonus feature, with more than 46 minutes of content, includes returning characters, new cast members, huge stunts, big surprises, and so much more.
• PRACTICALLY FAST: When it comes to stunts, it seems each film in The Fast Saga outdoes the last. In this piece, we examine how Justin Lin and his team go to great lengths to shoot as many stunts as they can in-camera and practically, giving the film an authenticity that cannot be achieved solely through visual effects or CGI.
• SHIFTING PRIORITIES: We first met many of these characters when The Fast and the Furious was released in 2001. In the 20+ years since, not only have the characters themselves grown and evolved, but so have the actors that portray them. Art often imitates life, and we look at how that's particularly true in F9.
• JUSTICE FOR HAN: Han is back! Sung Kang and Justin Lin discuss the genesis for the return of this beloved character, while the cast reveals how much it means to them to have Kang back along for the ride.
• A DAY ON SET WITH JUSTIN LIN: The job of a director on any movie production is huge. The job of a director on a production the scale of F9 is immeasurable. Spend a day with Justin Lin and see just how demanding it is to navigate a production day when you're the one with all the answers.
• JOHN CENA: SUPERCAR SUPERFAN: John Cena is a real-life car expert, and no franchise does cars like Fast. Watch John jump from exotic car to exotic car like a kid in a candy store, giving you a true fan's look at some of the rarest and most expensive automobiles in the world.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY (THEATRICAL AND DIRECTOR'S CUT) WITH PRODUCER/CO-WRITER/DIRECTOR JUSTIN LIN

Final Score: ​

F9: The Fast Saga is beyond insane, beyond stupid, and beyond insulting to the audiences intelligence. I get the idea of “check your brain at the door”, but this takes it to a whole nother level. The movie itself entertains as pure big budget schlock, but it’s a sign that the series has finally run its course, and as sad as that may be, I’m happy enough to let it die with the 10th movie (which is supposedly being prepared for as we speak). The 4K UHD disc is quite the disc, with great video, great sound and a reasonable amount of extras. Pure cheesy schlock, and while I can’t give it a solid thumbs up, it’s dumb fun if you enjoyed the previous films.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Sung Kang
Directed by: Justin Lin
Written by: Justin Lin, Daniel Casey, Alfredo Botello
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos, (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), Spanish, French DD+ 7.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 142 Minutes (Theatrical) / 149 Minutes (Director's Cut)
Blu-ray Release Date: August 21st, 2021

Recommendation: Cheesy Watch