“A throwback of a simple 90s to early 2010s action movies”

Dir: Joseph Kosinski
Prod: Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, Brad Pitt, Joseph Kosinski, Dede Gardner, Lewis Hamilton
Writ: Ehren Kruger
Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Shea Whigham, Javier Bardem

F1 is a new action movie directed by Joseph Kosinski (the director of movies like Tron: Legacy, Only the Brave, and Top Gun: Maverick — which I love so much I’ve watched it like six times!). It’s produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who also produced my favorite movie of 2022, Top Gun: Maverick.

The story is about Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt) coming back to Formula 1 racing after a freak accident in the 1990s, which happened because of his friend Ruben (played by Javier Bardem), who now owns a Formula 1 team a team that’s ranked one of the lowest in the sport. Now, Sonny has to race alongside a cocky young driver, Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris), to win the Formula 1 championship and bring the team into the top 10.

So how is the movie? This is one of the best action movies of this year or maybe of all time. Kosinski is back, baby, and he does not disappoint. Sure, maybe Top Gun: Maverick is a better movie, and F1 has flaws, but I was entertained by it.

This is a pure action movie in the vein of Bad Boys, The Rock, Crimson Tide, The Fan, Days of Thunder, Deep Blue Sea, Armageddon, Transformers, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Rush, and True Romance. Is it cheesy? Yes. Is it fun? Yes. Is it loud? Absolutely.

This is one of the purest enjoyments of an action movie I’ve had this year. Every time I finish watching it, it feels like “a movie they used to make” just a 2 and a half hour fast-paced ride, fill with jaw dropping spectacle. Despite a simple story, the execution makes it feel fresh and awesome. A great movie for this year.

Let’s go with the flaws first. Yes, the story is predictable. Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes feels too clean it would’ve been better if Javier Bardem played Sonny and Pitt played Ruben. The character development is thin, and you’ll probably know how it’s going to end.

But the strongest aspect? The cinematography by Claudio Miranda who also worked with Kosinski on Top Gun: Maverick. Everything he applied there, he brought here, and it’s awesome. Most of the acting is great Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, and Damson Idris especially.

The opening racing scene in Daytona, while only about two minutes long, is insane absolutely beautiful, with jaw-dropping shots and fireworks everywhere that make the movie so colorful. The racing scenes are clean and easy to follow. And the score by Hans Zimmer? Man, Hans Zimmer did it again. It made me emotional and even sobbing, reminding me of the good days watching The Lion King, The Rock, No Time to Die, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and The Dark Knight. It’s insane. It’s loud, great to hear, and I loved it so much with a few techno twists in it, too.

F1 is an original action movie that you need to watch on the biggest screen with the loudest speakers to really feel it. Go see it with your family and friends it will enhances the experience. In my opinion, this is one of the best action movies of the year, beating Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and Ballerina.

I strongly recommend watching it in theaters. Bring your friends and family, and go see it on the big screen. Even though the movie has flaws, they’re overshadowed by its technical brilliance, racing sequences, and truly awe inspiring scenes and music by Hans Zimmer. So please support movies like this in theaters so, we can get more original action films like this again.

My Rating: A+