The Fast and the Furious franchise rarely feels like it’s running on fumes. The countless sequels, the helluva humongous cast, the always astonishing action sequences, and now their first ever spinoff – slowing down is nowhere in sight. There’s nothing wrong with tapping the brakes every now and then though. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw puts top action heavyweights in the ring and we get the pleasure of watching them demolish everything around them. Entertainment is the name of the game, and Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham do their damndest in this clunky action comedy without much under the hood.
Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Statham) hate each other. We know that. But when it comes to getting the job done, their methods may be different but they don’t disappoint. That’s why they will have to reluctantly team up to save Shaw’s Mi6 agent sister Hattie (an effulgent, kick-ass Vanessa Kirby) who has injected a virus capable of wiping out the world into her own body. Sounds stupid, but it’s better than the alternative – it ending up in the hands of Brixton (Idris Elba). He’s a former British agent who is more machine than man, and has a heavy history with Shaw. Anything Hobbs and Shaw can do, he can do better. He ain’t called “Black Superman” for nothing.
By inserting a small piece surrounding family importance, it’s not even worth the effort. Lets not pretend there’s genuine emotion in this meat-headed movie where we all know it’s the absurd action that pays the bills. Hobbs & Shaw may be overstuffed and excessive, but Johnson and Statham make a charismatic, skull-crushing duo. Their banter relies too much on hobbit and big baby jokes, nevertheless what they have is a winner.
And Elba ain’t messing around as the big bad. Taking out most of the planet’s population is popular these days, and getting a hold of this valuable virus is just as difficult as collecting the Infinity Stones for Brixton. But if there’s any actor who can go toe-to-toe with Johnson and Statham and make it believable – it’s him. That’s probably the only thing that’s believable actually. Kirby ain’t about to let the fellas have all the fun either. She’s not sitting on the sidelines waiting to be rescued. Not the Shaw family way.
Getting director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde) to step out of his rated R comfort zone to take on a PG-13 thrill ride is a little bumpy. He gives Hobbs & Shaw some mesmerizing moments that meet the silly standards set when Johnson first joined the crew in Fast Five. It’s a tough gig to keep that speed up, and Leitch doesn’t have enough in the tank to turn this affectless thing around. There’s too much déjà vu when the rubber hits the road. Hobbs & Shaw has the predictable mentality and muscles, but its heart ain’t the strongest. Loud and ludicrous is how the F&F blockbusters live their life, but it can’t last forever.
Check out our episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast on the Fast and Furious franchise here:
Listen to “Ep. 55: The Fast and the Furious Franchise” on Spreaker.Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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