Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
PG-13 | 2h 17min | Action, Adventure | 2 August 2019 (USA)
Synopsis: Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.
Review: With what could be the longest title of the year, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is not short on action – or eye rolling shenanigans. It is exactly what you would expect it would be and if your expectations aren’t too high you might have a lot of fun. And don’t sweat if you have never laid eyes on a Fast and Furious film. You get enough commentary to figure out who’s who and the story is original with very little carry over.
Shaw (Jason Statham) and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) are two peas who would never find themselves in the same pod. But when a cyber villain (Idris Elba) threatens mankind they have to put their dislike for one another aside and get the job done. The task includes some spy work, lots of fist-a-cuffs, peril, intrigue, and of course a lot of trash talking. They are joined by an Mi6 agent (Vanessa Kirby) who luckily brings a some brains to balance all the brawn. Do they save the world? You will just have to watch and see.
I enjoyed the characters and the chemistry between Johnson and Statham. The constant bickering does get monotonous and adds unneeded minutes to the already lengthy run time. You don’t like each other. We get it! Move on. The fact that they do not get along was established very early on so the constant reminders are annoying. The physical antics of one-upping each other is fine and adds to the visual entertainment. There are some attempts at reminding us of the importance of family. So if you take any of that with you; even better.
The cameos in this one was another nice surprise. There were a few faces I was not expecting and brought some authentic humor to the story line. I am not going to tell you who they are. If you want to spoil it for yourself then feel free to look in iMDb, But that is your call. One person I will talk about is Idris. Elba is such an incredible actor. Even in roles like this where he is playing a half man half machine character he brings a stunning clarity and passion to the creation. It never feels like acting due to the conviction of his delivery. We expect it in shows like Luther. So to see him even choose a film like this is pleasantly surprising. And we benefit from it.
Fans of the F/F Franchise will love this installment. The action sequences and chase scenes are some of the best. Watch closely the motorcycle stunts. They are fantastic. It is topped off by a helicopter encounter that words cant really describe. The film is rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language. It is safe for your older teens and fans of this genre. Look, bottom line is that serious movie goers will not be able to just sit back and enjoy the ride. The movie is long, predictable, unbelievable, and at times way too verbose. But do you really expect anything else here? Not really. So if you go, go for the fun of it.
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