It’s normally only horror franchises that desperately claw their way to nine entries, but 'Fast & Furious' is still kicking it into high gear, with this and two further instalments set to close out the saga.
Films three-to-six director Justin Lin is back behind the wheel after taking a break and while there’s no Dwayne Johnson or Jason Statham this time around, the muscle-bound void is amply filled by John Cena.
The part-time wrestler plays Dom’s (Vin Diesel) previously unheard of brother Jakob who takes on Dom and his team while searching for a dangerous weapon.
There’s a point where one character asks another, “how in the hell are you not dead?”, and that pretty much sums up where we’re at with this franchise.
Each entry tries to one-up the last with even more outrageous stunts and set-pieces; here, for starters, we get land mines, followed by collapsed bridges, high-wire cars and the surreal sight of Dame Helen Mirren speeding away from cops. And this time they’ve finally gone and done it - they take the action to outer space!
Cast-wise, the highlights are the face-offs between Diesel and Cena, which are given extra heft with a series of flashbacks - one or two too many, in truth.
Sung Kang’s Han is back from the dead and while the explanation for his resurrection will do, he doesn’t contribute very much, while Charlize Theron’s returning villainess Cipher is an even more pointless presence.
There are more magnets than on my kitchen fridge as the team lay waste to several city centres, including one of the stars of the show, Edinburgh. There’s something especially joyous about seeing our heroes’ vehicles hurtling down the Royal Mile.
However, what was once a creative saga that took us from drag races and drifting to bank heists, flying cars and superhero-esque escapades is becoming all too familiar, with the tech-hungry baddie, sought after MacGuffin and zany, gravity-defying action retread of the previous couple of films putting it into neutral ahead of its final stretch.
● What are your thoughts on 'Fast & Furious 9' and the saga overall? Has it run out of gas? Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments - and any movie or TV show recommendations you have - to your fellow readers.
● 'Fast & Furious 9' is screening in cinemas now.
