So the Fast & Furious franchise has been going on for a while now! Starting off as just a rip-off of Point Break (1991, Kathryn Bigelow) but with cars but then slowly evolving into this globe-trotting, action thriller series that rivals even the biggest movies franchises with its huge box office numbers and loving fanbase. And now the F&F franchise dives into new waters with it's first of, hopefully, many spin-offs around two of their popular characters Hobbs & Shaw. With their frienemy relationship in Fate Of The Furious (2017, F. Gary Gray) being one of the highlights of that movie, fans are really excited to see what this spin-off has in store for them.
Initial Thoughts
This movie is insane! It's balls-to-the-wall mayhem and I love it! It has great action, a tonne of one-liners and three great actors that really drive the story. The F&F franchise is very well known for being bonkers in its plot and action and this doesn't disappoint.
Hobbs & Shaw/ Dwayne Johnson & Jason Statham
I feel like I have to put these two together. Whilst they're great on their own it's their work together that really sells this movie for me. In fact, I'd say the movie doesn't truly get moving until Hobbs and Shaw have their first scene together. The two actors can play off each other very well, whether they're butting heads or throwing shade, they make a quite a good duo. My only concern with their relationship on screen was that was a little too tense. The two never really had a serious bonding moment, which I think they needed towards the end of the movie and would have had the finale feel more earned. But overall, I love these two together! They're arguably the best buddy cop duo in cinema today!
Hattie Shaw/Vanessa Kirby
I really liked Vanessa Kirby (Mission Impossible: Fallout, The Crown) in this movie. From the trailers, it felt like she was going to be the third wheel in the Johnson/Statham bromance but she definitely held her own alongside the two. I think she had quite good chemistry with both Johnson and Statham, with some rather heart-warming scenes with Statham (As they're playing siblings). Kirby also gets some pretty good one-liners that match up to the ones given to her male co-stars, along with some pretty cool action scenes of her own. I really hope we get to see more of Hattie in future movies. In fact, the whole Shaw family deserves a spin-off on their own!
Brixton/Idris Elba
Idris Elba (Luther, The Wire) is amazing in this! Since he's so used to playing more grounded and serious characters it was really great to see him just cut loose and have fun in this role. Elba was pretty intimidating, from the very first scene he shows how much of a force of "nature" he is in taking down his enemies with such ease. Brixton may not have a lot of depth to him, but I don't really think that matters. He's the most physically threatening antagonist this franchise has had, made even better by an enthusiastic performance from Idris Elba!
Action
This is arguably the best action the F&F franchise has ever done! But what can you expect from action director David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde)? The action is well-choreographed, highly dramatic and expertly shot. I really like how the characters have their own style of fighting. Hobbs, being a big guy is a very blunt force, a "Rock" if you will, whilst the Shaws are martial artists and have more fluid movements when they're fighting. And then there's Brixton who's kind of an amalgamation of the two in the way he fights, which is rather fitting and highlights how the titular characters have to work together to beat him.
Pacing
I think the biggest problem that this movie faces is pacing, which is a bit unfortunate. This is a very fast-paced movie throughout. I think it only has around two slow moments where the characters get to take a breath. But they're quite far apart. This especially doesn't help when they finish one huge action scene and then go straight to the next. Not allowing the audience to calm down enough to fully enjoy the next scene. This doesn't ruin the movie but it does hinder it a bit.
Conclusion
Hobbs & Shaw is a fun, crazy, action-packed movie that fans of these characters will adore and general audiences can really get behind! The actors are great, the action is amazing and the set pieces are incredible! It does have pacing issues but it won't ruin the movie. I definitely recommend seeing it if you're a fan of crazy action movies and the Frienemy-Cop formula.
So that's my review for Hobbs & Shaw. I'm sorry I didn't post this sooner. I've had a lot going lately in terms of work and finding the time to write these posts. But, what did you think of the movie? Do you agree or disagree with what I had to say? Please leave a comment down below to discuss. And, if you liked this review then you can follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading!
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