It was only a matter of time until the Fast and the Furious franchise introduced actual superhumans into its universe. The characters have long been able to survive the most outrageous of falls, crashes, explosions, and other extreme danger. And they not only survive, but they usually walk away with nothing more than a few scratches, maybe a bruise or two. They have basically superheroes for the last several movies.
Enter Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a cyber-genetically enhanced super-villain. He’s on a mission to weed out the so-called “weak” by unleashing a deadly virus on the world. The goal is to usher in a new age of humanity, where those who survive become more machine than human. And that sets the stage for another fun, action-filled romp that we’ve come to expect from the Furious movies.
Always a family affair
Family has always been a major theme in this series, as Dominic Toretto constantly reminds us. And that continues here, with the introduction of Deckard Shaw’s (Jason Statham) sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby). Hattie is an MI6 agent who steals the virus at the beginning of the movie, thus setting the plot in motion. But while there might be the worry that Kirby will serve as nothing more than generic motivation for the stars, she arguably steals the movie.
She more than holds her own in the action and fight sequences. And with a movie featuring Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Idris Elba, that’s no small feat. Already well-known for her starring role in Netflix’s The Crown, she could be on the verge of action stardom, with this role following a great supporting role in last year’s phenomenal Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
But more than that, Kirby provides much of the emotional weight, playing perfectly off Statham and Johnson’s joke-filled rivalry. Hattie is easily the most grounded character, and that makes her stand out – in a good way – in what is otherwise a completely over the top movie. The constant banter is fun, but Hattie’s character is critical to reminding everyone – the other characters and the audience alike – of the real stakes at play.
Best of frenemies
While an action movie at its core, Hobbs & Shaw is also by far the funniest of the Fast & Furious series. A number of characters get their jokes in, but the meat of the humor comes down to the back-and-forth barbing between the two leads. Seemingly every sentence they say to each other is some sort of (usually hilarious) insult. It’s like the prison scene from Fate of the Furious, except it lasts for two hours.
Thankfully most of the jokes land, but this is one area where it feels some cuts could have been made. At 2 hours 16 minutes, it runs just a hair long. Nothing would have been lost from cutting short some of the non-stop jokes.
Fights and stunts and explosions, oh my
As funny as the movie is, and as charismatic as the main characters are, it’s the action where it makes its bones. And while Hobbs & Shaw doesn’t have anything quite as ridiculous as, say, the “Cars don’t fly” scene from Furious 7, there is still plenty of action that ignores the laws of physics – as should be the case with any proper Fast & Furious movie.
Though it might lack a true signature scene, it makes up for that with sheer volume. Director David Leitch never lets more than a few minutes go by before introducing the next fight scene or action sequence. And as someone whose previous movies are John Wick (uncredited), Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2, he knows his way around an action scene.
And with how frequent they are, his experience and expertise pay off big time. If done poorly, viewers will quickly tire from the constant onslaught of fists, guns, and explosions. But when done correctly? Well then the audience is in for one wild ride.
The action isn’t perfect, however. A couple hand-to-hand combat scenes fall victim to shaky cam. And Leitch included a surprising number of slow-mo shots. A few of these work okay, but there’s definite diminishing returns. When used to show a stunt that would be hard to keep up with in real time, it’s effective. But when used for punches or other basic fight moves, it feels unnecessary.
Always a family affair, redux
Don’t think the Shaws are getting all the family glory this time around. As teased in the trailers, the the Shaw siblings and Hobbs travel to Samoa, Hobbs’ home (Johnson is also half-Samoan). There, he reunites with his mom, brothers, and other various family and friends.
This stretch has some nice moments, this is also where the movie slows down a little bit too much. For a time, the focus shifts to Hobbs’ past with his family. And by this point, you just want to keep the action going. But that being said, once the action picks up again, it really picks up, with a few incredible set pieces and some really fun fight sequences.
Even though the time in Samoa might have some of the weaker moments, it’s nice to see the family theme continue to play out. Moving the series from Dom’s crew stealing DVD players up to the insanity we’ve become accustomed to, family, and its importance, continues to be a central theme.
Still a well-oiled machine
Hobbs & Shaw won’t be lauded for its screenplay. It’s not a movie that requires a rewatch to pick up on plot details you might have missed the first time around. But that’s okay. This franchise has never been about that. It’s about fast cars, big action, and a fun time.
And on those fronts, it knocks it out of the park. One of the things the Fast franchise does as well as any single movie or series out there is understand exactly what it is. That sense of self awareness – and the ability to stay within it – needs to be commended. And as long as future movies can keep that going, this series should be churning out hits for years to come.
Score: 83/100
