Honestly, I’m excited for this more than I’ve been for a Fast & Furious movie in years. And I’m certain it’s because of director Justin Lin. You see, the thing about Lin is, he genuinely seems to care about the franchise and the characters that reside in the universe. The biggest problem with The Fate of the Furious and Hobbs & Shaw isn’t that there’s a submarine or The Rock pulling a helicopter with his bare hands like he’s freaking Captain America. It’s that there isn’t much care for character development. Why is Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) helping Dominic Toretto and gang and why don’t they seem to hate him anymore. He murdered one of their best friends in cold blood. Why is Deckard Shaw and Luke Hobbs (The Rock) cracking jokes with one other, tongues always firmly in their cheeks in Hobbs & Shaw? Justin Lin who directed Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious 4, Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6, is the director who created the sense of shared universe worldbuilding in the Fast Saga. He’s also a director who directs the melodrama in the movies with a sense of earnestness. Even something as schlocky and nonsensical as Tokyo Drift doesn’t not feel earnest even for one second. And I’m confident that amidst the flying cars and crazy action blocks in Fast & Furious 9, there’s also going to be proper character melodrama and I’m all down for it. Also, as a pro-wrestling fan, I’ve been dying to see John Cena as a bad guy for ages! Fast & Furious 9 hits cinema 21 May 2020.
