By Lynn Venhaus

The star power of Brad Pitt combines with the adrenaline rush of Formula 1 racing for an entertaining but strictly-by-the-numbers summer blockbuster.

The turbo-charged technical mastery lifts “F1: The Movie” as a classic underdog-redemption sports drama that follows a standard, if formulaic, template. The thinly written story offers little surprise amidst the turmoil of risk vs. reward, a grizzled veteran clashing with a cocky kid, and whether fun or finance should be the prevailing motivator.

The story follows Sonny Hays (Brad Pitt) as a former Formula 1 driver who is convinced to come out of retirement by his old pal Ruben (Javier Bardem), now owner of a struggling Formula 1 team, to mentor a hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). It’s 30 years later and the road to redemption is a rocky one.

A sterling cast supports this star vehicle, and brings authenticity to their roles, which makes it watchable. Oscar winner Javier Bardem is his customary captivating self as APXgp team owner Ruben Cervantes while Oscar nominee Kerry Condon plays Kate McKenna, a smart, feisty technical director whose knowledge of physics has served her well in aeronautics and racing.

Damson Idris fits the promising young talent mold, and while there are many supporting players, Tobias Menzies is memorable as board member Peter Banning, Samson Kayo is Pearce’s manager, and Sarah Niles is a charmer as Joshua’s mother Bernadette. (If you know you’ve seen her but can’t quite place where, she played Ted Lasso’s therapist Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (and scored two Emmy nominations).

Director Joseph Kosinski, who helmed the crowd-pleasing “Top Gun: Maverick” two summers ago, must have been so focused on capturing the thrills that he neglected the emotional sustenance that strong storytelling provides.

He and screenwriter Ehren Kruger, Oscar nominees for the “Top Gun: Maverick” adapted screenplay, collaborated on the cliché-riddled story, which is disappointingly predictable. Kruger, who wrote the “Transformers” sequels, should know his way around a blockbuster.

Nevertheless, the likeable actors are invested in the intensity of these athletes in training and competition.

 Those unfamiliar with the professional auto racing circuit will get a stunning glimpse of fancy racetracks around the world.

Is Sonny Gray a has-been or a never-was? Oscar winner Pitt, now 61, is in his element playing this once-promising hotshot who lost his mojo after a horrific crash and wound up never jump-starting his career.

Pitt is always at his best when he’s a tarnished golden boy. He suits the role of a lone wolf beaten down by life. Through his subtle expressions, you can tell this weathered guy, who is now a racer-for-hire living out of his camper van, has emerged sadder and wiser from Hard Knocks University.

He still tries to be relevant after learning harsh life lessons. With a tawdry laundry list of mistakes made either by gambling or from bad romances (three failed marriages), Sonny seeks another chance to get it right.

Sound familiar? Absolutely. Pitt’s Sonny works his unconventional maverick confidence but also carries around a lot of baggage. He shrugs, he swaggers, he says pithy phrases that motivate people — or quickly shuts them down. A man in motion, he runs – and inspires others.

He’s a betting man, but would he bet on himself?

The movies “Grand Prix” in 1966 and “Le Mans” in 1971 established racing as a compelling action-adventure, even with what was considered state-of-the-art back then, and then “Rush” in 2013 and “Ford v Ferrari” in 2019 surpassed them with high-stakes racing.

This has an old-school escapist feel, although the modern scenario is never in doubt, with social media ‘engagement,’ cell phone usage, and the wall-to-wall product placement palooza.

Cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who last shot the shimmering seascapes of “Nyad,” captured the dizzying spectacle while editor Stephen Mirrione ramped up the stakes and the suspense, heightened by Hans Zimmer’s propulsive score.

Overlong at 2 hours and 35 minutes, you’ll feel like you’ve been driving all night on a road trip. Sure, the action is zippy and immersive. But “F1: The Movie” unfortunately doesn’t have the oomph in the surrounding story on the same level as the vroom-vroom zooming.

“F1: The Movie” is a 2025 sports action drama directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Shea Wigham, Tobias Menzies, Samson Kayo, and Sarah Niles. It is rated PG-13 for strong language and action and its runtime is 2 hours 35 minutes. It opened in theatres June 27. Lynn’s Grade: B-.

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