• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
This is the movie poster for "F9: The Fast Saga." The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (CNS photo/Universal)

Movie Review: ‘F9: The Fast Saga’

July 1, 2021
By John Mulderig
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews, News, World News

NEW YORK (CNS) — Nondenominational religious flourishes and an emphasis on the value of family offset occasionally intense showdowns and some unsavory vocabulary in “F9: The Fast Saga” (Universal).

Director and co-writer Justin Lin’s addition to the popular “Fast & Furious” franchise is thus acceptable, on balance, for a broad swath of grown-ups.

Nine films into a series, an attention-grabbing twist of some kind is presumably required. Here, it’s supplied by the presence of John Cena in the guise of Jakob, the estranged — and previously unmentioned — brother of speed-demon protagonist Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel).

Jakob, it turns out, is the muscle behind a nefarious scheme, the effort of Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen), a dictator’s evil but surname-less son, to obtain a high-tech weapon that will give him — what else? — world domination. His past having caught up with him in this way, Dom reluctantly comes out of retirement and rallies his crew of street racers to foil the plot.

That means temporarily suspending the happy home life Dom shares with his wife, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), and his toddler son from a different relationship, Brian (Isaac and Immanuel Holtane). Since Dom’s sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), faces a choice similar to his own, over-the-top action sequences are interspersed with debates about the proper balance between duty and domestic happiness.

Such themes are hardly the point, though, because the real focus here is on regaling the audience with ever more outrageous adventures.

Given that the gang’s challenges last time out included stopping a submarine, that’s no small order. And, in fact, Lin and his script collaborator, Daniel Casey, find it necessary to send at least two of Dom’s cohorts, Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), literally out of this world to raise the ante.

Amid the giddy stunts, Little Brian — namesake of the franchise’s other lead character, played by the late Paul Walker — is taught that God is in his heart. He is also given Dom’s trademark silver cross for safekeeping and deemed old enough to say grace at the meal that provides the setting for the movie’s final scene.

Whether any of that compensates for the despair into which this sequel will doubtless plunge traffic cops everywhere is another question, however.

The film contains much stylized, though sometimes harsh, violence, brief anatomical humor, at least one use of profanity, about a dozen milder oaths and numerous crude and crass terms. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.  

More Movie Reviews

Shia LaBeouf: ‘I fell in love with Christ’ to portray Padre Pio on screen

Movie Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’

TV Review: ‘Mrs. Davis’

Videogame review: ‘Tin Hearts’

Movie Review: ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter”

Movie Review: ‘Fast X’

Copyright © 2021 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

John Mulderig

Catholic News Service is a leading agency for religious news. Its mission is to report fully, fairly and freely on the involvement of the church in the world today.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Pope Francis says situation at U.S.-Mexico border is ‘serious problem’
  • Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken
  • Movie Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’
  • Missionary of mercy priest: ‘Be Christ to all people’ in a world ‘hungry for the Word’
  • In honoring anti-Catholic activists, L.A. Dodgers strike out

| Latest Local News |

Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken

RADIO INTERVIEW: The Prosperity Gospel

CEO, authors, NFL coach take part in Catholic college commencements

| Latest World News |

A year after mass shooting, Catholic Extension recommits to ongoing support for Uvalde community

Head of bishops’ anti-racism committee praises investigations into racist histories

Thousands flock to Missouri for ‘electrifying’ visit to former Baltimore nun’s apparently incorrupt body

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • A year after mass shooting, Catholic Extension recommits to ongoing support for Uvalde community
  • Head of bishops’ anti-racism committee praises investigations into racist histories
  • Thousands flock to Missouri for ‘electrifying’ visit to former Baltimore nun’s apparently incorrupt body
  • Evangelizer’s strength comes from practicing what one preaches, pope says
  • After visit to Ukraine, Swedish cardinal says he hopes for ‘just peace’
  • Promote Christian values, not divisions, on social media, Vatican says
  • Shia LaBeouf: ‘I fell in love with Christ’ to portray Padre Pio on screen
  • Columbus Diocese closes 15 parishes amid initiative to move from maintenance to mission
  • Economists, educators, Catholic leaders discuss what’s at stake in debt limit resolution for those most in need

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED