F1: The Movie 4K Review

F1: The Movie tells the story of Formula 1 racecar driver Sonny Hayes who was dubbed “the greatest that never was.” Sonny was the sports most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes, owner of a struggling Formula 1team that is on the verge of collapse.

Ruben convinces Sonny to come back for one last shot at saving the team, and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce, the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him, and he finds that in this sport, your teammate is your fiercest competition, and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

I Found this to be a spirted, and tonally engaging film, with a feel-good essence, that revolved around a personal, and explorative story, of two different, but similar men, at the points in their lives where they unwittingly need one another. For them it will play out in the field of professional auto racing.

The narrative is filled with subtlety, some purposeful, some natural, and a wonderfully balanced narrative that speaks to the meaningful relationships within, while not giving way to the oft used familial, or romantic melodrama, that can generally be found in a genre piece like this.

Screenwriter Ehren Kruger paints in even strokes with respect to setting the thematic tone of the film, the rendering of its characters, their interpersonal relationships, and conflict. The plot builds upon them well, via engaging interplay, and the elements that take place on the race track, which is quite entertaining.

I appreciated its rousing human interest story, charming performances, and fresh essence, all of which adds up to a memorable, and invigorating film experience.

F1: The Movie was rendered from 4K/6K digital sources, and finished on a 4K DI for its presentation in Ultra HD.

This action/drama benefits from Ultra HD’s higher resolution, and emboldened contrast. I found the presentation’s use of sepia, and primary colors, to be complementary. Fine details can be seen in the story’s wide-angle, and close-up camera perspectives, imparting an appreciable boost to perceived depth/dimension. The brief use of CGI causes some innate softening, which I didn’t find compromising.

The application of HDR isn’t a focal point, but adds punch to the film’s sun splashed exteriors, and visual cues, that offset the varying stages of light that illuminate dark environs or nighttime landscapes. White and black levels are excellent, which allows sequences containing bright highlights to reveal ample gradations, and inky blacks, that give the images onscreen visual pop.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack incorporates a plethora of head turning effects that bring the entire platform to life. The sequences that take place on the race track are the presentation’s highlight, containing a host of effects, near field pans and, ambient extension, that rotate around the soundstage, shifting overhead, passing by at ear level, and coming directly at the listening position.

The mix runs the gamut between passages of spoken dialog, and music, to engaging sequences that deliver enriching surround sound. Dialog rendering is terrific, the track’s dynamic range delivers the audio’s active elements with opulent clarity, and palpable bass. The music score is carefully integrated into the sound design and is wonderfully transparent, and three dimensional. This is an entertaining presentation that brings everything together in a resplendent blend of well-balanced sound.

The bonus features are comprised of nine featurettes that explore the making of the film. This includes table reads, scene deconstructions, rehearsals, shooting locations, stunts, cinematography, and creating the music score. A digital code for the film is included.

F1: The Movie is a spirited, and rousing action/drama, that fires on all cylinders, making for a feel good/invigorating film that is fun to watch. As a bonus, it looks and sound great in 4K which should appeal to fans.

Ralph Potts