F9

THE GIST: Dominic Toretto is reluctant to join his old gang in a rescue operation, until he realizes a very familiar face might be involved.

Delayed about a year by the pandemic, F9 had a lot riding on its shoulders, and certainly delivered as far as the box office is concerned. Alas, the same cannot be said when considering the story.

Sure, there are insane acrobatics and gravity defying vehicular chases, but the villainous plot is too fantastical to be believable, and when you send a car into space . . . it just feels like you've jumped the shark.

It's really a pity, because the Toretto brothers' backstory is cleverly developed and interesting, adding another branch to an already overgrown family tree.

Furthermore, bringing back a couple older characters (like Han and Sean) does add charm. Unfortunately, others (like Mia and Cipher) barely have anything to do, seemingly just showing up to collect their checks.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The Furious franchise certainly doesn't seem to be slowing down, and there will most assuredly be more chapters after this one. Let's just hope the producers put more money into the screenwriting process rather than the visual effects next time.

Grade: 5