I’ve just found out that Jerry Bruckheimer is planning a sequel to his 1995 thriller Crimson Tide. This is in addition to talk of a sequel to his 1990 racing movie Days of Thunder. If director Joseph Kosinski has his way, the latter sequel would also sequelize his - and Bruckheimer’s - current racing movie, F1. Let’s get on track to that current movie, shall we?
Stop me if you’ve heard any of this. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a racing veteran, was once a rising star in Formula One. That is, until he crashed during the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix. Nowadays, he races elsewhere, but he’s still chasing those glory days. One day, his former teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who now owns the APXGP F1 team, offers Sonny a spot. Sonny eventually takes it.
Sonny’s fellow racer is Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a bigshot rookie. Part of Sonny’s new job is to help mentor “JP” as the next big racer. Of course, they become allies. Sonny also wins over Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), the team’s technical director. As the team travels the world, they deal with inefficient car designs, calamitous crashes and even a threat of a corporate takeover. Their biggest issue, however, is Sonny’s lingering health problems from the earlier crash. Oh, what will happen next?
Yes, a lot of Ehren Krueger’s screenplay runs a familiar track. In fact, a few narrative turns, like Sonny's rivalry with Joshua, are especially familiar for those who've seen the Top Gun movies. Joshua's crash is treated with the same gravitas as Goose's death in Top Gun, though Joshua actually survives his. It could've been a shocking swerve if Sonny didn't survive his, but he actually does, and of course, wins the big race. Still, the revelation of Sonny's lingering health problems is a good jolt. Its cliches aren't a dealbreaker, but its massive 155-minute lap might as well be.
Its likeable cast helps make the overlength bearable. Sonny, in particular, maybe a typically charming Brad Pitt character, but he's still a fun guy. The previous crash adds some gravitas to his typical comeback story. As Ruben, Bardem's exuberance is fun, but he's quite impactful when he's forced to be serious. As Kate, Condon has some great chemistry with Pitt, even if the film glosses over her character's profession. Joshua's character arc is pretty good, but one line read stands out. Early on, when he's asked about his motivations for racing, he responds "money, fame and free clothes." It's sarcastically weary, as if he's asking, "what else do you want me to say?" He doesn't elaborate on that, but he gets some more good moments later on.
Amongst the supporting cast, we get Joshua's mother and cousin, Bernadette and Cashman (Sarah Niles and Samson Kayo), and Kaspar (Kim Bodnia), the team's Principal. They're pretty likable, unlike Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies), the team board member behind the takeover threat. Thing is, while the takeover is a looming threat, Peter being the big bad is treated like an afterthought in the final stretch. It's not enough time to take him seriously.
But I bet you came here for the racing. Its races are why the film is so long, but they're also when the film is at its best. Claudio Miranda filmed much of the F1 action during actual races, and he gets some impressive views both inside and outside the cockpits. As with Top Gun: Maverick, the visual effects team perfectly obfuscate the differences between actual cars and any digital ones. These races are neatly edited together by Stephen Mirrione and accentuated by Hans Zimmer's cool score.
I could hear some audible reactions, even applause, during F1's dynamic action. I kept to myself, but it was tempting to join the crowd here and there. See it soon and you might have the same reaction. Otherwise, you might have to keep it to yourself when it inevitably drives off to Apple TV+. I think it might be fun.
But that's it for now.
