“F1: The Movie” showcases speed and charm

I am not a racing fan. I understand how demanding the sport is, but I have no desire to spend hours watching cars driving. No offense to those who do, but that is not how I want to spend my time. Movies about racing? That is a different story.

Ruban Cervantes (Javier Bardem) asks former F1 driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) to return and help him with his F1 team. They have a talented young driver named Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris), but he has yet to win a race.

The main reason to see this movie is the racing sequences. Special rigs for the cars were designed to get these incredible shots but not throw off the balance of the vehicle. These are the best racing scenes ever put to film, and the reason to see this in the theater is I have heard the IMAX experience is incredible. Even in a regular theater, these scenes are stunning. It puts you right in the car with the driver, and you feel every turn and vibration. The race scenes also serve as a way of building the characters. Sonny is known for pushing the limits when driving, which some see as dangerous. During one race, to help Jousha win, Sonny uses his knowledge of the safety rules to force slowdowns in the race so that Jousha keeps his position. It is here that we see Sonny as the ultimate team player.

Pitt is one of those actors who can be considered a movie star. He has a presence on screen that not everyone else has. Sonny could be seen as a know-it-all jerk, but Pitt makes Sonny charming. He is very good at all kinds of racing and knows it. In our introduction, he has been hired to help a team for 24 hours at Daytona. We see him take them from the back of the pack to 1st during his shift in the car. It sets up exactly why he would be asked to help the F1 team.

For the racing scenes alone, this is worth the trip to the theater. I had a great time watching it. If I had one nitpick, it would be that it does follow the "sports movie template" and can feel predictable. But that is not a bad thing.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for strong language and action

2h 35m