There are certain things that stay the same from one Fast & Furious movie to another, and these elements are essential for sustaining the series’ trademark entertainment value. Although the premise of Jakob Toretto antagonizing his brother Dom along with Cipher was a new plotline, the core ingredients in the Fast & Furious formula were all brought back for F9.
These are just some aspects of the Fast franchise that separate the series from others, as they can only be found here. F9 continued this practice, re-emphasizing iconic character traits, sharing comedically convoluted backstories, and referencing recurring sequences that audiences will recognize. With the ninth installment now out for fans to enjoy, it’s worth checking out these specific details that it brought back.
The Theme Of Family
No matter how much Dom might change over the years, his most defining attribute has been his loyalty towards those he considers as his family. F9 made sure to use this key detail in the most important way yet, as the story was about Dom’s brother.
To this end, everything that happened in the plot had to do with Dom wrestling with the knowledge that his brother was his foe this time around. Of course, it was also keeping in line with the theme of family that Jakob eventually became a good guy.
Mr. Nobody’s Unexplainable Skills
As his name goes, Mr. Nobody is meant to be a mysterious character who can pull off feats without explanation. While he was absent during the present-day events in F9, Mr. Nobody’s presence was felt when Han revealed he was responsible for faking Han’s death.
This was done through another show of Mr. Nobody’s unexplainable skills, as Han’s death was never explained and it appeared as if Mr. Nobody had made him teleport away from the scene of the crash. Han even acknowledged how it seemed like magic, to which Mr. Nobody claimed he’d pulled off even bigger situations.
Dom’s Unbeatable Driving Prowess
Another aspect that has remained the same from the original Fast & Furious movies to the reboots is the fact that Dom is a total ace behind the wheel. This detail has played into the story as well, as Dom is considered to be the best driver out there.
F9 showed him to be greater than Otto and Jakob’s team, as Dom used his car as a slingshot to jump from one mountain cliff onto another. In the climax, Dom employed his skills by saving Jakob’s life when he fell on the road, after which he flung his car toward Cipher’s drone to destroy it.
The Moment Of Han’s “Death”
The topic of Han’s demise has come up frequently in the past several movies ever since it was first shown in Tokyo Drift. It was revisited heavily during the final scene in the sixth movie and the beginning of the seventh, and F9 got into greater detail.
As mentioned earlier, Mr. Nobody turned out to be behind Han’s survival, with the flashback showing that Han had willingly gone along with faking his death in order to vanish and keep his adoptive daughter safe.
A Car Chase Sequence
Although the series started out being about street races, the racing aspect has been toned down to the point where some movies don’t carry this detail. However, F9 made sure chase sequences were still incorporated, and the movie brought one for no real reason other than it being a series staple.
This was highlighted the most when Dom accompanied Queenie Shaw during her escape after she completed yet another burglary. The chasing aspect wasn’t necessary by any means, but it was still included due to it being an ingredient in the Fast & Furious formula.
Tej & Roman’s Comedic Dynamic
The series was a bit uneven in earlier installments with comedic characters until Fast Five settled Tej and Roman as the duo to deliver this. F9 continued the franchise’s tradition of making these two out to be a bickering team, as they argued all the way into space.
Their dynamic largely has Tej insult Roman for his intelligence while the latter keeps on running his mouth to annoy Tej further. F9 had Tej be more creative, as he baited Roman into thinking he agreed with him at times before turning it into another one of his insults.
The Villain Reforming
This detail has become all the more important ever since it led to the Hobbs & Shaw spin-off. Fans have noted how Fast & Furious has the habit of introducing intimidating new characters, only for them to align with the heroes.
This happened with Luke Hobbs, Owen and Deckard Shaw, and now also includes Jakob Toretto, as he went from the villain of F9 to reconciling with his family by the end of the movie. Jakob reformed to the point where he abandoned his attempt at procuring Aries and fought alongside Dom to fight Otto and Cipher.
The Backstory Of The Torettos’ Father
Right from the first movie, Dom’s story arc has included his father’s demise, as he’s voiced his inability to move on from watching Jack die in front of him. F9 turned this into the most important detail about the plot as the truth behind Jack’s death was the basis of the story.
The story had to do with Dom holding Jakob responsible for the crash that killed their father, while Jakob held onto the secret that Jack had deliberately gotten the car sabotaged and promised Jakob not to tell Dom and Mia.
Callback To The First Movie’s Climax
The moment where Dom’s mindset was reformed from being a criminal with low morals into a man who respected loyalty was at the end of the first movie. This was when Brian allowed Dom to escape, thus giving the latter a second chance.
This key detail returned in F9 in almost exactly the same manner, with Dom being the one to let Jakob flee by handing him the key to his car as Brian had once done. Dom also made reference to this fact by telling Jakob that his friend had offered him a way out and he was doing the same with his brother.
The Family Dinner
It wouldn’t be a Fast & Furious movie if all the characters weren’t shown settling down for dinner, and F9 continued bringing this aspect forward. It’s a key detail due to how it establishes the characters to be an extended family rather than just friends, as they all appreciate each other’s company.
This movie ended on an even more heartwarming note than before, as Brian himself attended the dinner in the final moments when his car was shown pulling up in the driveway. It also served as a reminder to fans that Brian was alive and well within the film’s universe.
