Brad Pitt plays a Formula One driver who drove his career off the rails (a trite character trait). He’s hired for a comeback to drive the circuit, help the troubled team avoid elimination and mentor a promising new driver (Damson Idris). Naturally, their relationship provides the expected conflict. This is “Formula” in more than “one” way: The plot runs along predictable ups and downs, while the characters are typical types. Then there’s the driving, which director Joseph Kosinski went to extremes to capture. They shot around the world with real race events in the background and mounted cameras all over the cars for an intimate feeling of the speed. And there’s more race footage than I’d like, often times with roaring engines drowning out the announcer’s explanations. The character interactions are kept short and snappy with Pitt shining in his cool, casual style. It every way, this is a big by-the-numbers Hollywood star “vehicle” (pun intended) with lots of product placement. As such, it brings nothing new to the tried-and-true blueprint, but manages to be consistently entertaining. BTW, the new BTX Cinemas at Movieland makes the experience more impressive. 
(3 / 5)
