Joseph Kosinski, alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, are the masters of velocity, the dealers of adrenaline and the prognosticators of anticipation. Once again, employing the services of a roguishly handsome movie star, innovative camerawork and some 80's style cheese. Crafting a menu to leave even the most sceptical viewer satiated.
F1 : The Movie, appeals to both the devoted Formula One loyalists, in addition to the casual/Drive to Survive inductees. Showcasing speed, technology and unavoidable impacts, with an interesting blend of flair, detail and accessibility. Enticing story beats weaved between superb racing, re-skinned historical footage and an infectious Hans Zimmer score, grant moments of recovery, development and incremental gains made via grueling hours in the sim rig and the dissection of wind flow in state of the art facilities, to shine.
The on-track action is condensed and stitched together efficiently through the iconic commentary duo of David Croft and Martin Brundle. Who, through snappy dialogue and a playful banter, create a natural sense of anticipation, raising the stakes and the hairs on your body.
All of the above culminates in an epic unrivaled final sequence, as a feeling of weightlessness washes over the audience and the characters, elevating each other to another dominion.
However, for all its achievements, there are a number of stumbling blocks, both production wise and within motorsport basics. The script is almost irrelevant as the story told on track is leagues ahead of the shallow dialogue and disjointed performances, excluding that of Javier Bardem, who appears to be in his element, wrangling a team from the brink of bankruptcy with charm, sentiment and desperation.
As all F1 fans will know, the pinnacle of motorsport, is at its finest on qualifying day, low fuel loads and high performance engine modes allow for the greatest drivers on the planet to showcase their true speed, skill and pin-point execution, yet, that intoxicating flurry of purple, green and yellow sectors are nowhere to be found. Suspension of disbelief only stretches so far, when race bannable decisions and blatant disregard for regulations are being discussed on a monitored system for all teams and stewards to hear! Come on, ever heard of 'Crashgate'?! Renault, 2008, Singapore Grand Prix? No?... Look it up.
Compared to its Hollywood predecessors, F1: The Movie manages to sire goosebumps, cheers and gasps and deserves to be witnessed in the largest format possible.
