Before a scream of an engine or one word can be uttered in F1 the Movie, the AirPods Max make a presence. On the ears of Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes, a washed-up racing veteran, these headphones speak of a lifestyle. Comfortable, indeed. Sonny sleeps in them. Think about that. They awaken him, ready to tear the track up. Were the $550 headphones behind his comeback? Maybe. So get a pair and test if you, too, can channel your inner Brad Pitt.
Amidst the roaring engines and glitz of the paddock, “F1 the Movie” dares to confront the question: can a $300 million Apple commercial also be a damn good movie? Put together by Brad Pitt and F1 icon Lewis Hamilton, this turbocharged splendor announces Apple’s bold foray into summer blockbuster territory. Fresh off “Top Gun: Maverick,” director Joseph Kosinski does not merely present speed to you; rather, he throws it into your face. “F1” isn’t just big dumb fun; it’s an intense thrilling experience. As a seasoned action lover with the need for speed and everything that goes faster than 200 mph, I think this has got to be the best racing film ever made. Buckle up.
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Have you ever seen this film before? Perhaps. But get set. “F1 The Movie” is more than just “Top Gun” on wheels. Ditching Tom Cruise for Brad Pitt turns the picture into a legend gone sour with the famed asphalt, still sure he can make gold. Director Joseph Kosinski is not just swapping fighter jets for Formula One cars but also smuggling bleeding-edge technology-limpid iPhones and top-secret Sony cameras-inside those roaring concepts at 200 miles per hour. Hope you are ready for some G-force. This isn’t really a series of frames; it’s a shot of adrenaline going right into the veins.
Forget the familiar faces and predictable plot –F1 the Movieis a technical marvel that must be seen on the big screen. A few clichés: Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes is the down-on-his-luck racer summoned by the desperate team owner of Javier Bardem to save a dying F1 dream, and he clashes with the fame-hungry rookie played by Damson Idris. But beyond that narrative, there’s a spectacle of speed and sound elevating this film to a must-see summer blockbuster.
The larger, the better. In IMAX, the movie should feel the widest.F1forbids any tantalizing effect achieved by perspective shift; the movie just explodes over the canvas in the immersive 1.90:1 aspect ratio for the entire duration. I got an advance view on a prestigious screen and was astounded; next on my list will be the full-blown IMAX experience, as the film is designed for the highest level of sensory overkill.
Forget about the iPhone hype. While Apple would want F1 buffs locked on its cameras, Sony tech is what really thrusts visceral power into the film. Behind-the-scenes shots show the cameras spinning mid-race, shooting you abruptly from a driver’s view of the asphalt to another shot of gloves-on-client white-knuckle fight against G-force. You are not just seeing speed; you are feeling the battle.
“F1 therefore sucks the air out of your breath during the high-octane sequences. But to get the most out of the ride, leave your logic behind. Putting F1 fervor aside, consider the enigma that is Pitt’s character, and the somewhat obvious pit-stop romance, and the movie might just fly down the rails in your favor.”
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Forget all those tire strategies and DRS zones-there is the bigger danger in Formula 1! Sonny Hayes innocently setting his precious non-waterproof AirPods Max at a fraction of an inch from the post-race ice bath! You could almost hear the Apple execs scream at Kosinski, “Protect the brand! Keep those headphones dry!” After all, can we even realistically talk about expectations of F1 speed when we cannot even expect headphones to survive a mere splash?
From the soaring triumph of “Chariots of Fire”-which is a tribute to human spirit-to the gritty soul of “Rocky”-the fight is worthiness of being a name alone-there are very few sports films that really get into our souls. And then comes the thrill: engines screaming, tires scorching, or the musky aroma of burnt rubber filling the air. All we sometimes require is that pure, distilled cocktail of unadulterated rush.
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Thanks for reading F1 the Movie review: A shameless Apple ad that will blow your socks off
