F1 is a formulaic blockbuster that won’t surprise audiences based on originality. However, with leading man Brad Pitt, the technical mastery of director Joseph Kosinski, and enough fun to propel it to the victory lap.
It’s unclear whether F1 is the most expensive non-franchise movie ever made (rumors suggest a budget of around $300 million, excluding marketing costs). However, from the look and feel of it, the money was spent on the screen. The technical details will make audiences feel like they are in the race.
I only have two nits with F1.
- Antagonist – The biggest challenge in F1 is that, given a 2-hour and 35-minute runtime, more of the film could have been used to establish a clear antagonist. Yes, racing (and sports movies) are usually more about the protagonist being their worst enemy. However, the paper-thin antagonist in F1 is hardly established until the back half, and all the opposing race teams are mentioned only by name, without any characters for Brad Pitt to face off against.
- Product Placement – Audiences will know this in an Apple film. From the opening shot of Pitt using the noise-canceling functionality of the AirPod Max headphones to every phone being an iPhone – it’s clear they are the studio.
Despite those two minor critiques, F1 is the closest movie I’ve seen in a long time to capture the Bruckheimer action film style of the 1990s. If it weren’t for the fantastic big-budget look and feel, I’d say wait to watch this film at home. Yet, because it looks so damn good – it deserves to be seen on the largest screen possible.
Final Thought: F1 is fun, has a charismatic movie star, and should run laps around the competition at the box office this summer.
It’s available in theaters now.
