Hobs and Shaw Review

Fast And Furious: Hobbs And Shaw Review: An Over-the-Top Action Showcase, Minus The Emotional Depth Of The Series’ Zenith

A decade and four months ago, the Fast and Furious franchise was all but dead. The fourth eponymous entry — the second from director Justin Lin — had scored the worst reviews of the series yet, with criticism aimed towards the sheer CGI-ness of the action sequences amongst several other issues. But then surprisingly, Lin put Fast and Furious back on track with Fast Five, which became the franchise's first genuine hit and paved the way for future entries that rolled out as instant blockbusters. (The three films since have made more than two-thirds of the total earnings.) Fast and Furious is now big enough to warrant its own spin-off, and that's exactly what it's getting with Hobbs and Shaw, featuring the title characters played by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.

Fast Five didn't just hotwire Fast and Furious back to life, but it also began the franchise's slide into fantasy and sci-fi territory. Remember that endless runway in Fast & Furious 6? Or that jump between three buildings in Furious 7? Hobbs and Shaw director David Leitch — best known for Deadpool 2, Charlize Theron-starrer Atomic Blonde, and John Wick — knows that very well. And the writers — Fast and Furious veteran Chris Morgan, and Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3) — and he leans into that fully with the spin-off, which is not even coy about it anymore. The villain Brixton (Idris Elba, from Luther), is equipped with bleeding-edge tech that literally makes him superhuman. No wonder that he is a self-proclaimed “black Superman” or referred to as the Terminator by others.

To top it off, Brixton also has an autonomous motorbike at his command, one that can seemingly access satellite data and compute interception routes at a moment's notice. All this comes together to produce action sequences in Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw that willingly discard physics and make them wholly cartoonish. That's on par for the franchise's later efforts, but the trouble for the Fast and Furious spin-off is that its set-pieces aren't cohesive. Rather than a scene that was conceptualized, extensively storyboarded, and then shot and cut to perfection — which Leitch did well on John Wick and Atomic Blonde, but not with Deadpool 2 — those in Hobbs and Shaw suffer from a lack of fluidity. And when the action doesn't flow beat-to-beat, it takes you out of the moment. In other words, you stop caring.

Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw open in London, as it introduces MI6 agent Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby, from The Crown) — the younger sister to Statham's Deckard Shaw — leading a team to secure a deadly virus. Things go sideways after Brixton shows up to take the virus for himself, prompting Hattie to inject herself with it and escape. It's a good enough set-up for the two new characters whom the audiences don't know, as it establishes their credentials neatly and succinctly. It then switches to the ones most in the audience already know, giving us a look at what they've been up to. Hobbs spends time with his nine-year-old daughter who has questions about their family, while Shaw goes to the prison to see his mum (Helen Mirren, returning from Fast & Furious 8), who's itching to get out.

Pretty soon, the two are pulled in by the CIA to find the absconding Hattie, who's been branded rogue by the MI6. Both declare that they work alone and reject the idea of a partner. You don't need to have seen the previous Fast and Furious films Johnson and Statham have appeared in to understand why Hobbs and Shaw don't get along with each other, but the film plays better if you have. Naturally, they are forced to work together — the film's called Hobbs and Shaw for a reason — and it's their comedic, one-upmanship banter that powers nearly all the film's humor. After all, it's why Universal Pictures granted them their own spin-off. But that humor, while it may have worked in spades in previous mainline entries, wears thin in Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw because it's the only thing on offer.

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Morgan and Pearce clearly recognized that as well during the writing process, which explains the extended surprise cameos from actors Johnson and Leitch have worked with before — we won't say who they are — to provide additional humor support. But said cameos feel grafted onto the narrative as comic relief, and a recognition of facts that it's one-dimensional in itself and lacking the variety of the ensemble that usually powers Fast and Furious.

Meanwhile, Elba, with his fantastic sardonic delivery, only gets one opportunity to participate in the film's comedic elements. The rest of the time, he's forced to brood around like he does on Luther, working off very little story-wise except some beef with Shaw, and an evil mastermind's modulated voice that only shows up as the vertical bars of a music equalizer. Elba has such a captivating presence that you can't help but wonder what he would bring to a more laid-back Fast and Furious entry, and it's a shame that Hobbs and Shaw don't make room for him to transition into the bigger world.

Idris Elba in Fast and Furious: Hobbs and ShawPhoto Credit: Daniel Smith/Universal Pictures

An additional problem is that the film fails to expand on the bonds that have driven the franchise's emotional core: (found) family. For one, Hobbs' daughter and Shaw's mother are tangential to the film. Sure, Shaw's sister is central to the plot, but this is the first time we're seeing them together. We have no shared history of their relationship. To bridge that family gap, Hobbs and Shaw transport its characters in the final act to the former's home on the island of Samoa — shot in Hawaii in reality — where Hobbs attempts to reconcile with those he abandoned. But there's little meat to that storyline.

And it doesn't help that without the rest of the Fast and Furious family present, the message also rings a bit hollow. It's possible that the ongoing feud between Vin Diesel and Johnson was to blame for that, with the latter admitting they share “a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach movie-making and collaborating”. (It's likely why Johnson isn't a part of Fast & Furious 9.) If that's why Diesel & Co. don't appear in Hobbs and Shaw, it's ironic that a franchise about a bunch of stubborn petrolheads who reluctantly team up with their worst enemies — Statham's Deckard was the villain two films ago — now can't find a way to resolve their real-world differences.

From a narrative standpoint, the only good thing Hobbs and Shaw does is that it never turns Hattie into a damsel in distress, even as the plot could've easily steered in a direction like that. That's a good step for the Fast and Furious franchise that has a notorious, troubled history with its on-screen representation, portrayal, and treatment of women. In fact, both the male leads regularly turn to women to save them in the film. Sadly, Kirby is the only one with on-screen prominence, with the other female actors — including Eiza González, of Baby Driver fame — reduced to cameos.

Lastly, though it feels futile to complain about logic in a franchise that gave up on it a while ago, Hobbs and Shaw willingly write itself into a corner by putting a 72-hour timer on a catastrophic event. Most of that time is lost before the two leads even join up with Hattie, and then the film throws away more time by having its characters fly around the world, going from London to Russia to Ukraine, and then all the way to Samoa in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. By our calculations, that's easily more than a day and a half in the air. But this is Fast and Furious, so does it really matter?

Vanessa Kirby in Fast and Furious: Hobbs and ShawPhoto Credit: Daniel Smith/Universal Pictures

The bigger problem ultimately is that there's no real emotional engagement with the characters on-screen, which is why you find yourself noting such plot holes. Towards the end of the film, Hobbs declares they're all about people and heart, while Brixton is all about technology. And that's why they'll always win. You half fall for it at the moment because Johnson is just so sincere in his delivery. But Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw have none of those people and heart, itself. It cannot espouse the philosophy it preaches because it's so interested and determined to be over-the-top that it essentially stands as a shiny spectacle crafted with the help of technology.

It's a far cry from the franchise's nadir, but it's also a far cry from its zenith. In the end, Hobbs and Shaw is a middling Fast and Furious entry — and that's not worth much at all.

Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw are out now in India in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. There are three scenes during the credits, so stay in your seat till the end if you want to catch those.

Hobbs And Shaw Review

Star power in modern Hollywood isn’t what it once was. It used to be that casting a beloved and/or trendy lead actor was the ultimate key to box office success, but – as has been noted in many think pieces written in the last few years – that’s not really the case anymore. Save a handful of exceptions, mass audiences today are far more interested in recognizable brands and familiar characters than any single performer, and it’s a shift that has completely redefined the market.

David Leitch’s Hobbs & Shaw, however, is a film that aims to have its cake and eat it too. This is a blockbuster tied to one of the biggest franchises in the world (the full title includes the prefix Fast & Furious Presents), but simultaneously it’s an independent spin-off essentially inspired by the powerful popularity of Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. In the current cinematic climate, that’s the equivalent of a loaded deck, and in that vein, it delivers on its promise. It’s a showcase for bonkers action and charming charisma, and while the story occasionally veers a bit too far into the ridiculous and messy, it’s successful in the end just because of its excellent entertainment value.

Fans of the Fast & Furious franchise will recall from the two most recent chapters of the main series that Diplomatic Security Service Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and MI6-trained rogue spy/assassin Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) aren’t exactly in each other’s fan clubs. Being natural adversaries as a cop and criminal, the bulk of their screen time together thus far has been spent either physically fighting, or trading insults. They can barely spend a second in a shared space together without throwing chairs or verbal barbs… which really makes them a perfect duo forced together for the adventure cooked up by screenwriters Drew Pearce and Chris Morgan.

Continuing the family theme that has become so huge in these movies, it turns out that Deckard’s sister, Hattie (Vanessa Kirby), is also an intelligence agent, and has unfortunately gotten herself in a serious bit of trouble involving a weaponized deadly virus. In an attempt to keep the disease out of the hands of Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) – a technologically-enhanced agent of a sinister shadow organization called Eton – Hattie injects herself with it, but she is then forced on the run when Eteon frames her as a traitor to MI6.

Given their individual skills and personal connections, both Hobbs and Shaw are called in to work the globe-spanning mission – neither informed about the other’s involvement, of course. The two men spar incessantly, both still emotional about their past encounters, but when fully confronted with the threat that Brixton represents, they try and work together just long enough to save the world.

To an unabashed degree, Hobbs & Shaw is a movie about wheelhouse capitalization – both in front of and behind the camera. Nobody here is exactly breaking new ground, but everyone is doing what they do best, and it’s really the film’s greatest strength. It’s always fun when you can feel palpable confidence from a blockbuster, and this one has it flowing. Not every stylistic choice fully works (especially those that get significant setups without big payoffs), and logic isn’t consistently the narrative’s greatest concern, but the majority of its big swings connect.

Previous movies have already shown us how naturally suited both Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham are for their respective roles, and Hobbs & Shaw is essentially designed to give that act a more significant stage on which to perform – while at the same time capitalizing on the same kind of venomous chemistry that has fueled many of cinema’s great “buddy” team-ups. The two leads really are perfect opposites, and it naturally generates its own material, both in personality and physicality. Johnson is mountainous, impossibly strong, and effortlessly suave; while Statham excels in being stealthily quick, agile, and sharp. Their back-and-forth is great, as is how the action benefits from a creative standpoint.

This brings us to David Leitch, who is as expert as an expert gets in Hollywood when it comes to action. The filmmaker was clearly given a lot of resources here, and they're certain is a “go big or go home” attitude that emanates as massive set-piece follows a massive set-piece. There is definitely a loose relationship with real-world physics, but it never gets to such a crazy cartoony place that it kills the momentum. It lets you believe that a bulletproof Idris Elba can slide a motorcycle beneath two in-motion semis going opposite directions and that Dwayne Johnson can win a tug of war with a helicopter, and that’s an exciting world to live in for two hours and 15 minutes.

Nine movies and 18 years into this franchise, audiences are entirely aware of what’s being delivered with a new Fast & Furious chapter, and while Hobbs & Shaw is testing out some new waters by being the first spin-off, it should also meet your expectations. It’s not a movie totally without greater ambitions, as some significant steps are made to set up possible sequels that will take the story in some fresh directions, but what it delivers best is really what you’re there to see.

‘Hobbs And Shaw’ Review: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham Join Forces

2.5 stars (out of 4)

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham aren’t here for the Oscar buzz. With a super-sized screen presence, these hulking, follicle-free actors just want to crack some bones and a few tongue-in-cheek jokes. And, hey, serving up one last treat during a brutal summer wouldn’t hurt them either. They go the extra mile joining forces in Fast and the Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw, a would-be superhero entry without the costumes. The movie is almost ridiculous enough to get the job done. Almost.

Sorry Sex and the City fans, this is not a spin-off featuring Miranda and Aiden. In case you’ve been ignoring the Fast and the Furious franchise for the past five years, this installment is based on the characters Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Statham). One is a loyal agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service; the other is a British outcast that plays by his own rules. They hate each other for reasons that don’t matter and aren’t shy about conveying their disdain.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.’ Daniel Smith/Universal Pictures

They must put their differences aside because the fate of the world is at stake. Try to keep up: One of Shaw’s old foes has turned into an evil, genetically-enhanced cyborg. This anarchist baddie — played by Idris Elba, BTW — has gained control of an uber-virus that liquefies the human body within hours. Said virus has been implanted inside the hand of a rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby) that just happens to be Shaw’s baby sister. Now the enemies must team up to take down this self-proclaimed “black Superman.” To do that, they’ll have to journey from London to Ukraine to Samoa. If you tell me the screenwriters settled on this plot after playing a drunken game of Scattergories, I’d believe you.

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But who needs story when an entire cast is a game in performing in over-the-top stunts that would make Tom Cruise jealous? The action is ramped up to the extreme, highlighted by Johnson free-falling down a skyscraper to catch Elba and Statham sliding his motorcycle underneath a semi-truck. Maybe that was Johnson too. After 145 minutes, all those scenes are melded into one CGI spectacle. And with that Fast and Furious brand name, you better believe you’re in store for car chases on steroids, as well.

Hobbs and Shaw work best when Johnson and Statham fight each other with cutting words. The punchlines are easy but hilariously effective. “I’ll have this job done while you’re still putting on your baby oil,” Shaw sneers to his rival early on. Hobbs snipes back that Shaw has short Hobbit legs with a nasal Harry Potter voice. Director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde) corralled some friends to chime in on the barbs too. Though these stars made their names as action heroes, their quick-witted comic timing is vastly underrated.

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If Leitch had left Hobbs and Shaw as a slick 90-minute action-fest, he’d have a winner. But he makes the mistake of believing that audiences want a heavy-handed warm and fuzzy message in a bloated third act. (In lazy-writing racing terms, he takes the foot off the pedal.) Hobbs is already in a race against the clock to save his new crush, not to mention save humanity for the fourth time in four years. There’s no need for him to also make amends with his estranged family while getting in touch with his heritage in Samoa. “You believe in machines,” he implores to Elba, “But we believe in people.”

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Actually, we believe in fast-paced, mind-numbing summer escapism. Where’s Vin Diesel when you need him?

Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw are in theaters Friday, August 2.