Like many dads, I love a good car racing movie. "Ford v. Ferrari," "Le Mans," "Rush," even "Days of Thunder" revs my engine. Yet, schedules being what they are, I missed my window to see "F1: The Movie" in theaters this past summer. But when it showed up on Apple TV last week, I figured it would be a good time to catch up on what I missed. And, having finally seen "F1," man, do I wish I had seen it in the theaters.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski — the same guy who helmed "Top Gun: Maverick," a movie I did see in theaters — I had somewhat high hopes for "F1." Squealing tires, cars whipping around the track, I could almost smell the exhaust in my nostrils. Yet, despite watching it in my Alexa Home Theater setup with four Echo Studios, what should have been a visceral experience was less a thrill ride than a spin around a Go-Kart track.
Stream "F1: The Movie" on Apple TV now
My colleague Malcolm McMillan recently watched all three Avatar movies back to back, and I couldn't help but draw parallels between James Cameron's movies and "F1." These films rely so heavily on visual spectacle that we often overlook a pretty basic storyline.
Because I saw "F1" on the small screen, its middling plot was brought into relief like a race marshal waving a red flag. The movie's trope — an older driver/father figure brought on to mentor a young up-and-comer — is a formula that has been used time after time, and it can work. "Bull Durham" is a prime example.
But this setup has already been tried (to less-than-mediocre success) with the Formula 1-adjacent "Driven." As "F1" brings nothing new to the grid, plot-wise, it needs some real kick-ass action sequences to make it shine. And unfortunately, those scenes just don't show up as well on a TV — no matter how big — as they would in a theater.
Not being overawed by the racing, I had more time to focus on the story, which felt underdeveloped. The relationship between Sonny (Brad Pitt) and Kate (Kerry Condon) is a lesser version of Crash Davis and Annie from "Bull Durham," while Damson Idris' Joshua Pearce isn't nearly as cocky as Nuke LaLoosh, which made his transformation into a more seasoned driver less dynamic.
And — spoiler alert — I really think the story would have been better served had Sonny sacrificed his own victory to let Joshua win the last race of the year. Maverick was the better glory hound in "Top Gun," but only because Tom Cruise had established himself in that role.
All of this to say, the next time there's a big spectacle of a movie, it's worth finding the time to watch it in a theater, rather than wait for it to come out on streaming. While the film may not leave you intellectually stimulated, at least it will keep you entertained.
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