REVIEW: Hobbs & Shaw is Action Packed & Filled with Laughs
The Fast and Furious franchise is known for two things: action-packed scenes and the theme that nothing matters more than family. The newest addition, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, follows right along in the path of its predecessors. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham return as Hobbs and Shaw for the franchises new addition.
Shaws and Hobbs are tasked to work together to stop Etheon Corporation, a diabolical tech organization determined to create a new world. It is up to them to keep Etheon’s head henchman, Brixton (Idris Elba), from using a deadly virus to kill off half of the human race. Hobbs and Shaw want nothing to do with each other based off their past history and outright refuse to work together. When Shaw’s sister, MI6 agent, Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) is found to have a connection to this virus, the two must put aside their differences to save her and the world.
Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham return as their iconic Fast and The Furious characters, Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw and they are great to watch work alongside one another. The two have some really fun banter and, as one would assume, their actions scenes are extremely enjoyable to watch. Idris Elba is also a wonderful addition to this movie. Even though he is playing the bad guy, you can’t help but root for him in certain scenes. His character on paper should not be a likeable guy, yet Elba finds a way to make him appealing.
Vanessa Kirby’s Hattie Shaw is a badass in her own right and had no problem fighting alongside Johnson, Statham, and Elba. Her chemistry with Statham and Johnson was fantastic and propelled her character’s story forward. There are some surprise cameos in the form of Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart and their characters will have you laughing throughout. Here’s hoping we see those characters return if Universal Pictures decides to do another Hobbs and Shaw film.
Like most Fast & Furious movies, Hobbs and Shaw does a nice job getting audiences’ hearts racing. There are a few scenes where the slow-motion action sequences get to be a little too much, but overall it is an enjoyable flick. If fans of the franchise are hoping to see some of the original Fast and Furious characters, the will be disappointed seeing. If fans are hoping to see a wild, entertaining addition to the franchise, they should see Hobbs and Shaw this weekend.
Grade: B