High-octane thrilling & outrageous corporate shilling.

There are few simpler pleasures in all of cinema than a good old underdog sports flick. Whether fictional or driven by a true story, if done right, an against-all-odds sports tale can be a beautiful thing. And there are no sports that operate better within this narrative framework than motorised ones.

Even for those with little interest in them (full disclosure – that includes your writer), there’s something about cars that just clicks on the big screen. Whether it’s the inherent thrill of the race or their naturally cinematic nature, car movies hold the power to convert even the biggest sceptics among us.

As the latest effort in this high-octane sub-genre, F1: The Movie revs into cinemas with expectations high. However, with the weight of an entire brand on its shoulders, can it live up to the hype and battle its way into pole position? Or will it find itself crashing and burning entirely?

In the 90s, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1's most promising driver until a tragic accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), the owner of a struggling Formula 1 team, convinces Sonny to return to racing and become the best in the world. Driving alongside the team's hotshot rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), Sonny soon learns that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

Despite its undoubted charms, the underdog sports movie is perhaps one of the most cliché-heavy genres going. With a well-worn structure and an inherently formulaic nature, for all the good that they can do, these films always run the risk of allowing their clichés to consume them entirely.

With little desire to break loose from these clichéd confines, F1 finds itself falling for almost every underdog film pratfall going. Whether it’s Brad Pitt’s outsider protagonist, Damson Idris’ cocky teammate/rival, or the plot’s conveniently formulated race structure, F1 almost appears to revel in its clichés at times.

Of these clichés, undoubtedly the biggest offender on display is the script itself. With hackneyed dialogue and paper-thin characters throughout, F1 doesn’t so much dabble in cliché but wholeheartedly embraces it.

Racing films will always have their fair share of cheesy, larger-than-life scripting quirks, and F1 is no different. Steadfastly unafraid to embrace the inherent silliness of its genre, F1 dispenses with all pretence to positively revel in its corniness, while also eking out just enough drama and action from the setup to keep things interesting.

By sticking to their guns in this manner, the film is able to deliver a lot of fun, low maintenance thrills with minimum fuss but maximum impact. With a pace just as rapid as the action and an energy level that rarely dips, F1 is such an adrenaline rush that knows its strengths and leans into them. So, while the script is silly, clunky, and cliché -filled, the sheer buzz and thrill of the ride is more than enough to balance things out.

While it gleefully indulges in every sports movie cliché going, a fair few of which are actually quite fun, there are other extravagances that F1 partakes in that are far harder to ignore, let alone forgive. Many of F1’s clichés are relatively easy to overlook, however, the extent to which the film wholeheartedly embraces the corporate excesses of Formula 1 is all rather off putting.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the sport will know that advertising and sponsorship is part and parcel of the Formula 1 viewing experience, however, even by those standards, this film takes it all a little too far. Corporate overload has always been a rather obnoxious side of Formula 1 and F1 doubles down on this to such an extent that it all comes off like a huge capitalist circle jerk.

Of course, it would be unreasonable to expect something called F1: The Movie to not contain some level of corporate shilling, but it’s impossible to prepare yourself for the sheer overindulgence on display here. With barely a minute passing without a Heineken 0.0 bottle being waved in our face or a cavalcade of logos plastered across every available inch of screen, the experience is all rather nauseating. And for a film that constantly lets us know that “it’s not about the money,” it all feels awkward and empty.

As one might expect, the entire film is essentially an overlong commercial for Formula 1, however, if you can make peace with this fact, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had with F1. Despite its hefty 156-minute runtime, the film is so slick and well put together that it buzzes along with some serious speed and no little ferocity.

Zipping by at a million miles an hour, F1 is a precision engineered blockbuster thrill ride. Repeating the same trick he pulled off with Top Gun: Maverick, through dynamic camerawork, sharp editing, and a pitstop-level view of the action, Joseph Kosinski plonks us right in the driver’s seat every step of the way, ensuring that we feel the speed and the rush of the race throughout.

Such race immersion is a crucial factor for the success of any car film, but one that is never a given, so it’s to Kosinski’s credit that it all comes together to such an extent that F1’s issues can (largely) be forgiven. As a prime example of this, for all its formulaic pratfalls, the film’s plot is impressively constructed in such a way as to pull us directly into the action and keep us locked in as we bounce rapidly from race to race.

It’s a very slick, impeccably engineered plot that, for all its clichés and predictability, offers a satisfyingly enthralling viewing experience. In many ways, it’s the kind of sports blockbuster you rarely see anymore, and while some may baulk at that kind of nostalgia-centric cinema, roll with it and you’re in for a thoroughly entertaining time.

Despite the whizzbang high-tech wizardry on display, an aspect that’s part of the very fabric of the modern Formula 1 landscape, there’s an unmistakably classic air to F1 that’s hard to resist, and a large part of this throwback charm comes from one man. In a role that feels tailor made for him, Brad Pitt positively exudes the kind of singular Hollywood leading man aura that’s enough to elevate F1 on its own.

It’s the kind of starring role Pitt built his brand on, but one that he hasn’t really been seen in of late, however, his sheer presence here has something of the Old Hollywood about it, delivering a hit of nostalgia that lifts everything and everyone around him, even as the film itself begins to wobble. A talented but rebellious underdog living by his own rules, Sonny Hayes is as stereotypical as they come, yet through Pitt’s effortless charm and boundless charisma, there’s far more here to keep you invested than it initially appears.

Alongside him, Damson Idris offers plenty of natural charisma himself, as does Javier Bardem, who’s clearly having a whale of a time chewing every inch of scenery, however, it’s Kerry Condon who absolutely steals the show. Offering a marvellously feisty performance, Condon is undoubtedly F1’s MVP and manages to add a level of fire, likability, and heart to the film that even the superstar presence of Brad Pitt struggles to offer.

Overall, F1’s characters are largely flimsy, inauthentic, and unremarkable, so to have someone like Kerry Condon’s Kate in the mix to really give things a kick up the arse is a huge relief. Bolshy, indomitable, and infinitely amiable, Kate is a real breath of fresh air among the petrol fumes, and while the character feels as underdeveloped as many of those around her, she’s at least interesting and plays a massive part in F1’s winning charm.

While it may be a corny, cliché-ridden corporate circle jerk and an overlong advert for Formula 1, F1: The Movie is nevertheless one hell of a ride. Despite its numerous flaws, F1 is a high octane, precision engineered thrill ride and the kind of absorbing, throwback sports flick that’s impossible not to get swept up in.