Fast & Furious 9 (2021) new trailer

F9: THE FAST SAGA was supposed to come out in 2020, but it got pushed back a year. I see that as a blessing in disguise... because it has been released on the FAST & FURIOUS franchise's 20th anniversary! As usual, we get action sequences that would be more enjoyable if the characters were actual super-heroes (I can't suspend my disbelief to this degree!) and a scene where Dom Toretto talks about the importance of family, blood or not, while eating meat and drinking beer. However, both this one and THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS make the same mistake: To pretend that everyone present at the barbecue is part of the circle. Mia Toretto returns, because she felt she needed to be a part of this particular mission. And while she does contribute to saving the day, it's odd how she doesn't appear in the flashbacks that explain her family history (including the opening scene, which by the way feels it came from an entirely different movie in terms of tone). Well, she does appear in one, but you wouldn't know that unless you read the credits. She's not referred to by name, she doesn't have any lines and she camera doesn't even focus on her in a way that would make the viewer think she's anything but an extra. By the way, there's a scene where she's supposed to be speaking Spanish, yet it's clearly Portuguese. There's another scene where Dom's son Brian asks "Where is God?" and his dad replies "In your heart." What can could I say to that but "Barf!" Now, does this installment surpass the previous ones in any way? Yes! More than one, actually:
1) The best music score.
2) The biggest number of cameos, whether it's a returning cast member and/or a celebrity.
3) The largest quantity of self-referential jokes. I'm sorry, but acknowledging that you've written your heroes to be practically invincible (which decreases the stakes) doesn't mean much if you keep doing it regardless. Also, don't have your characters talk about the importance of the laws of physics when they inhabit such a cartoonish world.
4) The most extensive amount of pop culture references, which eventually gets tiresome. There's even a point where it feels like the story comes to a halt just so 2 people can compare the situation they're in to other movies. It goes something like this: "I'm like Luke Skywalker." "No, you're not." "You're right. I'm like Han Solo." "Wrong again. You're like Yoda." "Ah, because I'm so powerful?" "No, because you're a puppet." Ummm... A puppet is used in real life to portray him, but the character itself isn't one, so this exchange doesn't work.
5) The most shameless use of the "Revealing a dead character is actually alive" trope. Don't worry; it's not a spoiler, because all of the advertising features Han Seoul-Oh. The explanation of how he survived causes more questions than answers due to the lack of details. Also, just because you understand a situation like this from a logical point of view, it doesn't mean your emotions will allow you to accept it. Seeing a person you believed to be deceased in person messes with your head, even if someone else tells you in advance that they're about to show up. Also, if that person staged their own death, you would probably resent them from keeping that a secret.

5/10
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