It’s borderline impossible — for this writer, at least — not to compare Joseph Kosinski’s latest film to Top Gun: Maverick. The latter might just be the best action film of the decade, equal parts vanity project for its star Tom Cruise and an incubator for the next generation of action stars. Following that perfect storm of action, emotion, and exhilaration is not a task for the faint of heart, but Kosinski makes an admirable attempt with F1 (or F1: The Movie). In some ways, it’s a leaner, meaner answer to all the sappy patriotism of Top Gun, a pivot that largely works in its favor. No matter how fast it zips through its underdog story, however, it can’t quite escape the shadow of its predecessor.
Of course, judging one film on the merits of another isn’t exactly fair — so let’s get the similarities out of the way first. F1 is fortunately a little bit more than just “Top Gun on wheels,” though Formula One does lend itself to allusions of warfare easily enough. Decisions are boiled down to the blink of an eye, and the slightest miscalculation could cost you your life.
