Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) thought he had put his superspy ways behind him, now living a more peaceful life on a farm with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his son, Little Brian. However, crew members Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) suddenly show up to inform him that they have received an S.O.S. from Mr. Nobody. He had captured the evil Cipher (Charlize Theron)—the woman responsible for killing the mother of Dom’s child—and was transporting her back when his plane was attacked mid-flight.

As Dom and his crew locate the source of the distress signal, they discover that Mr. Nobody was also trying to prevent a new cyberweapon from falling into the wrong hands—those of a new enemy that most of the team didn’t even know existed, but who is all too familiar to Dom—Dom’s estranged brother Jakob (John Cena). Jakob has skills and resources that rival Dom’s, and an army at his disposal, and will stop at nothing to prove he’s better than his brother. Dom must confront his past while trying to save the future, as he and his crew travel across the globe (and beyond) to stop this latest threat. This mission will also reunite Dom and the others with several other familiar faces and past crew members.

F9: The Fast Saga takes viewers on a wild, over the top, and sometimes completely ludicrous (pardon the pun) ride, in what may be the most exciting and action-packed mission for Dom and the crew yet. The film is loaded with lots of fast cars, amazing fights and stunts, and some incredible and creative action sequences unlike what we’ve ever seen before. I don’t know how, but this franchise always seems to top itself with each new installment, and this ninth film is no different, coming up with some epic, totally-satisfying moments. It’s hard to believe this film franchise originally started with just street races and electronics truck robberies!

This ninth installment sees the return of writer/director Justin Lin—who directed films 3-6 of the franchise—as well as the return of several familiar characters from Tokyo Drift and other films in the extended franchise. The idea that Dom, who’s all about “family”, has never mentioned having a brother in any of the previous eight films is a bit ridiculous. However, the writers do a nice job of explaining why, while also delving more into Dom’s backstory than we’ve seen in the past. It really helps to round out Dom more, and give him a new motivation. The film also looks into the backstory of some other characters, and addresses the longstanding #JusticeForHan that many fans have been crying out for, in a way that is both unexpected and satisfying. F9: The Fast Saga has the signature blend of over-the-top action and humor that have made this franchise so much fun to watch. There is such great chemistry between the actors/characters, who now work like a well-oiled machine at this point. John Cena makes an excellent addition to the cast, perfectly cast as this Toretto who is the only one could possibly rival Dom. You almost instantly forget that this missing Toretto brother was just invented for this film as he feels like a natural part of the franchise! Cena understands the tone of the movie, and fits in perfectly with his wrestling, action and comedy experience.

This release includes both the theatrical version of the film as well as a new extended Director’s Cut, which runs about 7 minutes longer. Without looking into it in greater detail, I’d be hard-pressed to identify the differences between the two. Any added/extended sequences did not feel out of place while watching the Director’s Cut.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds amazing. The picture is pristine, looking clean and detailed no matter what fast-paced action is happening on screen. It does an excellent job of capturing the beauty of the locales and all the explosive action. Flashback sequences look a bit grainy and faded, but this is likely by design, to differentiate them from the present. Dialogue is clear throughout, and the Dolby Atmos soundtrack provides a fully-immersive experience, putting the viewer into the center of the action. Whether it’s the sounds of cars speeding by, helicopters overhead, the hum of a giant magnet, or explosions and car crashes in every direction, the audio track fills the room with a rich, full and booming sound that amps up the excitement and experience.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed in a standard HD keepcase with a carboard slipcover, and includes a slip with redemption instructions for HD Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copies of both cuts of the film, plus a bonus Universal All-Access Rewards points code that can be used for a free digital movie or towards other rewards. The Blu-ray disc contains both cuts of the film, an audio commentary by the writer/director, and almost 80 minutes of bonus material, including a gag reel and many behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (Director’s Cut: 2:29:55, Theatrical: 2:22:52)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French Dolby Digital 7.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2022):

• HD digital copies of both cuts of the film, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu
• Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 12/31/2025)
  Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie or other items in the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of 5-6 free digital titles usually changes around the first of the month.

Extras:
The DVD disc only contains the gag reel and the commentary on the Director’s Cut, while all features can be found on the Blu-ray disc. Play All, or select from:

• Gag Reel (3:34)
  Fun with the cast as they flub/forget their lines, deal with misbehaving props, crack up, and make some hilarious meta jokes about themselves or their castmates.
• F9: All In (45:23)
  A look at the making of the film with the cast and crew. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, pre-vis stunt footage, and interviews with director/producer/co-writer Justin Lin, 2nd unit director/supervising stunt coordinator JJ Perry, producer Samantha Vincent, co-writers Alfredo Botello & Daniel Casey, 2nd unit first assistant director Stewart Hamilton, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos, 2nd unit stunt coordinator Andy Gill, picture vehicle coordinator Dennis McCarthy, picture vehicle supervisor (UK) Alex King, picture vehicle captain Brad Beavan, stunt double Jalil Jay Lynch, stunt coordinator Justin Yu, and stars Vin Diesel (“Dominic Toretto”, producer), Tyrese Gibson (“Roman”), Chris ‘Ludacris’ Brides (“Tej”), Jordana Brewster (“Mia”), Michelle Rodriguez (“Letty”), John Cena (“Jakob”), Nathalie Emmanuel (“Ramsey”), Sung Kang (“Han”), Thue Erted Rasmussen (“Otto”), Martyn Ford (“Lieutenant Sue”), Anna Sawai (“Elle”), Helen Mirren (“Queenie”), Ozuna (“Young Santos”), Cardi B (“Leysa”), Francis Ngannou (“Ferocious Professional”), Don Omar (“Santos”), Lucas Black (“Sean”), Jason Tobin (“Earl”) & Shad Moss (“Twinkie”). Play All, or select from:
  • The Family Returns (3:19)
    Getting the gang back together and working with director Justin Lin.
  • New Breed of Bad Guy (6:12)
    Adding an unknown Toretto brother to the mix, casting and working with John Cena, and the film’s other villains, Otto, Lieutenant Sue and Cipher.
  • Building The Land Mine Chase (5:42)
    The challenges of filming in the jungles of Thailand, selecting the cars for each character, and customizing the vehicles for the environment.
  • A Woman’s Touch (5:10)
    A look at the stunts and action sequences with the female cast/characters.
  • Vin, Helen, and The Queen (6:07)
    Bringing back Helen Mirren, and filming in London.
  • Growing The Family (4:27)
    Filming the cameos with singers Ozuna, Cardi B & Don Omar, and UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
  • Controlled Chaos (9:10)
    Filming the van/car chase in Edinburgh, the sibling fight sequences, and filming the final chase in Tbilisi, including creating the vehicles involved—Dom’s mid-engine Charger, Letty’s custom Nova, and the armadillo—and the magnet gag.
  • Tokyo Drift United (2:48)
    The Tokyo Drift cast reunite and reminisce.
  • Raising The Bar (3:22)
    The cast and crew talk about the family they have created both onscreen and offscreen.
• Practically Fast (7:52)
  The cast and crew discuss pushing the envelope with the extensive use of practical effects to add a level of authenticity to the stunts and action. A look at filming the flashback car race, the land mine sequence, the magnet gag, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer/co-writer Justin Lin, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos, 2nd unit stunt coordinator Andy Gill, picture vehicle coordinator Dennis McCarthy, stunt double Jalil Jay Lynch, action sequencer Josh Henson, and stars Sung Kang, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson & Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges.
• Shifting Priorities (3:59)
  The cast and crew discuss how the priorities of the characters (and the actors who portray them) have changed over the franchise as they start to get older, more mature and start their own families. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer/co-writer Justin Lin, and stars Vin Diesel, J.D. Pardo (“Jack Toretto”), Finn Cole (“Young Jakob”), Vinnie Bennett (“Young Dom”), Vincent Sinclair Diesel (“Younger Dom”) & Michelle Rodriguez.
• Justice for Han (3:37)
  The cast and crew discuss bringing back Han, and the fans’ #JusticeForHan campaign. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer/co-writer Justin Lin, producer Samantha Vincent, and stars Sung Kang, Vin Diesel, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Michelle Rodriguez & Tyrese Gibson.
• A Day on Set With Justin Lin (10:00)
  Cameras follow Justin Lin to see what a day on the set is like for the director/producer/co-writer, while the cast members discuss what it is like working with the director. Includes interviews with co-writer Alfredo Botello, Vin Diesel, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster & Michelle Rodriguez.
• John Cena: Supercar Superfan (4:36)
  Car superfan John Cena gives viewers a tour of some of the exotic and expensive cars on the set of the film. At the end, he is joined by Ryan Berris, general manager & chief marketing officer of Apollo Automobil.
• Feature Commentary With Producer/Co-Writer/Director Justin Lin (Director’s Cut: 2:29:55, Theatrical Version: 2:22:52)
  Producer/Co-Writer/Director Justin Lin provides an entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film. He shares lots of interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production, and discusses the themes and ideas explored in this latest chapter of the franchise. He also talks about his own return to the franchise, correcting some things from past films, and more.

Final Thoughts:

F9: The Fast Saga is the wildest, most over-the-top installment of the Fast & Furious franchise yet. It is such a blast to watch, and rewards longtime fans by bringing back many characters from past installments of the franchise, while also exploring some new backstory for Dom and others. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes an impressive collection of bonus material that is sure to please fans. This release is a must own for any fan of the franchise, and highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, high-octane and over-the-top action film.