I remember watching Top Gun Maverick in IMAX and was hit with the sudden urge to fly. Now director Joseph Kosinski is back with a new intense thrill ride. He replaced Tom Cruise with Brad Pitt. He also replaced the cockpit with fast cars. Kosinski and Pitt did the unthinkable and made me care about racing. By the time we left the theater there was an urge to race.

Brad Pitt is 61 years old and has me questioning if aging is really a thing. His charisma and charm is in full gear in this film as the underdog or “Never was” Sonny Hayes. Sonny was a promising racing protege in the 1990s. After an accident, he became a work for hire driver. From racing in Daytona to being a New York cab driver, Sonny just wanted to drive. After 30 years away from Formula 1, his former teammate Ruben (Played by Javier Bardem) wants him to return. Ruben is asking Sonny to come on board to save his Formula 1 team. Not only does Ruben need Sonny to save his team but needs him to mentor his rookie driver Joshua Pearce.

The story is pretty cliche for a film about a sport. Aging athlete does not want to give up their final chance with a hot shot rookie on their heels. Instead of shying away from this simple story beat, F1 dives head first into it. This allows the film to succeed in my opinion. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, the film gets the viewer behind the wheel. See this film in IMAX. Every bump is felt. Each car crash is intense. Experience the thrill of being in charge of a 200 mile per hour machine.

Outside of the amazing racing sequences, three performances help this film succeed. As mentioned, Brad Pitt is still a movie star, his presence makes every scene better. Yet it is the performances of Damson Idris and Kerry Condon that surprised me. Idris who plays Joshua Pearce could have been the typical cocky rookie. Instead, Pearce is a layered character that takes the viewer through personal struggles of fame. I do hope we see more of Idris in future projects after this.

This blog mainly focuses on comic book and superhero related films. We are used to hearing Kerry Condon’s voice. Condon provides the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y in the MCU. Yet between her performances in The Banshees of Inisherin and now F1, she has become an actor to watch. Whenever Condon was sharing the screen with Pitt, the tension was felt without words being spoken. Condon plays Kate McKenna, the technical director and she is unbelievable in the role. A role that had to be intelligent and sexy, Condon knocks it out of the park.

It’s not a perfect movie, but it didn’t have to be. F1 knew what the viewer wanted and for its lengthy runtime of 156 minutes it delivers plenty of racing. Hell, it may be the best racing I have ever seen in a film such as Ron Howard’s Rush. I would say the weakness of the film is its story. There is not much of a story there. At the same time, I don’t think a film like this needs much of a story.

The studio should have released this film the weekend of Father’s Day. Much like Top Gun Maverick, this will become a favorite of many dads. Do not let the time be an intimidating factor. F1 never felt long. Its runtime allows time for the film to breathe.

So far, F1 is my biggest surprise of the year. I went into this film with low expectations and left with a smile on my face. Its a feel good film and a distraction that can be enjoyed by all.