I’ll admit, I was hesitant going in—how could a 60-year-old pass as a Formula 1 driver? Yet it works. F1: The Movie is proper summer-blockbuster fare: sleek, entertaining, and surprisingly heartfelt. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), it brings some of that aerial flair to the track with roaring engines, punchy montages, and big-screen spectacle. It’s a classic Bruckheimer production: polished, predictable, but never dull. Structurally, it shares DNA with Ted Lasso—underdog grit, team chemistry, personal redemption. No major twists, and that’s fine. Hans Zimmer’s score does precisely what you expect, punctuating every hairpin turn and emotional beat with turbocharged gravitas. The cast is solid, and while the plot doesn’t break new ground, the film knows exactly what it is and delivers with confidence. It’s great fun, full throttle, even if it isn’t one for the ages.
Brad Pitt can't save this dud. You would think that it would be difficult to make a film about Formula 1 & it not be exciting but i found large sections of this film tedious. Bardem & the Irish lady are quite suited to their roles but overall the story & script is far fetched & flimsy & i found myself not rooting for the drivers/team at the finale .It just comes across as a promotional vehicle for the sport. Similar type films "Rush" & "Le Mans 66" i found more entertaining & more emotionally involving.
This is a film that can only really be fully enjoyed on the biggest cinema screen you can find and of course it's all about the racing scenes which are fast, exciting and all embracing. This is a good old fashioned sports underdog film with a mismatched pair of protagonists and a great cast that does everything it sets out to do and that's entertain the viewer. Brad Pitt plays a former champion Formula One racing driver, Sonny, who thirty years before barely survived a huge crash, became a gambler and briefly an NYC taxi driver (a shame we didn't get a flashback to that) and now tours in his van taking race car driving spots wherever he can find them. He's only in it for the buzz of the race having long ago lost any attraction to the wealth and fame. He gets a final chance from his old racing partner Ruben (Javier Bardem) to drive once again in a Formula One car for Ruben's failing team. Sonny's age and somewhat cynical approach rubs up his teammate, up and coming young driver Joshua (Damson Idris), the wrong way. But Sonny soon brings strategy and tactics to the team that are close to reckless and rule breaking but soon bring results. But the money men are threatening to take it all away! There's a great performance, as ever, from Kerry Condon, as the race car designer of the team and a spot of romance for Pitt. But overall this is all a mix of macho cinema, somewhat melodramatic yet all presented with panache making for a surreal and exciting film experience.