Gear shifting from very self-serious, dated, racecar bros actioners, to ridiculous, self-aware racecar bros spectacles, perhaps no mainstream franchise of the last 20 years has reinvented itself the way the “Fast & Furious” films have. Ever since Justin Lin went under the hood and retooled things with “Fast Five,” the series has embraced absurdist action extravaganza and in doing so, has super-fuel-injected new life, commercial success, and relevancy to the franchise.
Adopting the “Mission: Impossible” mentality of bigger is better, the “Fast & Furious” franchise unabashedly thrives on extremes and peak insanity—a crazy vault heist in Rio; Dwayne Johnson redirecting a torpedo amidst a high-speed submarine chase on ice—it’s big, dumb fun. However, is there a threshold to pushing the madness to its limits and beyond? That question is put to the test with “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” one furiously fun and entertaining schlockfest.
Picking up the thread of clashing interpersonal dynamics in “Furious 7”— Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) constantly talking shit and trying to outshine the other— ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ takes the game of macho one-upmanship to the next level. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) steals a world-ending bioweapon from a rogue MI6 agent (Vanessa Kirby), the two frenemies will have to put aside their differences and team up to save humanity from robo-domination, naturally.
Directed by David Leitch (“John Wick“,” “Deadpool 2“), the stuntman turned action filmmaker extraordinaire, is a perfect fit and makes a grand entrance into the series.
Leitch adds practicality and authenticity to sell and differentiate the action from previous ‘Fast’ films. From a high-speed McLaren chase through London to stylized fisticuffs, to a pulse-pounding factory escape, to The Rock lassoing a helicopter with a chain, each sequence serves to push the boundary further of what’s expected from a “Fast & Furious” movie.
While he excels in the action choreography, obviously, there’s also sharp attention paid to detail that gives this story and these character’s life— cleverly utilized cars, clothes, colors, and cuisine, all better defining the personalities of Hobbs and Shaw.
But make no mistake, “Hobbs & Shaw” is first and foremost a buddy comedy and features some of the fastest and funniest dialogue out of the entire series. The comedic rapport these two actors have formed is clear and it’s allowed them to stretch their creativity as they hurl the most articulate and extended insults towards one another in the film’s most amusing moments. Is it eye-rolling? Without question. Could one watch an entire movie that solely consisted of The Rock and Jason Statham smack-talking one another? Absolutely.
Both actors exude a delightful amount of camp and charm. Akin to a super heightened and chauvinist “Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” the two take the next step in their testosterone-fueled partnership and begin to form a genuine friendship. And this chemistry extends from verbal sparring sessions into the duo’s joint fight sequences too. Leitch wisely establishes respective fighting styles and abilities that wonderfully complement each lead making for showdowns that are thunderous fun. Their magnetic screen presence is also benefited greatly by the company of Kirby and Elba.
Elba oozes cool and even as this villainous cybernetic super-soldier, there’s a small part of you that can’t help but cheer him on. Elba embraces the clichéd, yet deliciously maniacal, nature of a man hell-bent on anarchy and in so doing, elevates an otherwise bland and generic bad guy. Kirby perfectly fits right into this universe, bringing a strong presence and resourcefulness that allows her to hold her own against Johnson in one of the film’s best throwdowns. Her witty intellect also charmingly counteracts the machismo mayhem of the two super bros.
While indulging in more-than-usual excess, “Hobbs & Shaw,” does attempt to make a poignant comment on family, but it’s not the one you know. This ‘Furious’ spinoff takes the time to explore the damage estranged relationships create. The filmmakers address rifts among siblings, forgetting one’s roots, and how it shouldn’t take the British terminator who’s one gadget away from inciting a cataclysmic event to visit your mom.
While hitting a few speed bumps along the way—a third act that third veers off into redundancy, pacing issues, and a personal tribute to Dwayne Johnson’s Samoan heritage that feels forced and wonky— it’s impossible to deny the crowd-pleasing chemistry and killer one-liners of Johnson, Statham, and two surprise cameos (no, not Keanu Reeves). Making the plunge into full-on Saturday Morning cartoon territory with its ludicrous over-the-top-ness, “Hobbs & Shaw” is a quippy, explosively kick-ass, utterly preposterous buddy romp that injects some much-needed nitrous oxide into an otherwise stale summer movie season. [B-]