The Fast & Furious franchise began in 2001 with a story
about an undercover cop getting in with some street racers to determine who was
stealing DVD players. Seriously. By the last movie, the F8te of the Furious,
the squad was international espionage agents helping to bring down global cyber
terrorists all while protecting their family and their Coronas. Seriously.
The point of these movies is not the plot, it’s the action sequences,
over-the-top nonsense, and yes, family.
This spin off features two characters who showed up in the
last couple of F&F movies. Hobbs is
a cop of some sort who was after Torreto & Co. but then switched to being
on their side. Shaw was the brother of
one of their villains who killed one of their friends, but also switched to
their side. The chemistry between the
Rock and Jason Statham in the last movie was so entertaining, it was inevitable
that they would get a spin-off. This despite the fact that Vin Diesel seemed to
be against the idea.
This movie picks up as Hattie Shaw, an MI6 agent, is on mission
to pick up a deadly virus. Cybernetically
enhanced members of the shady international villainous organization Spectre… I
mean Etreon, are also after the virus.
Hattie’s only choice (her only choice?) is to inject herself with the
virus and go on the run. The lead Etreon
baddie, Brixton, immediately pins the whole incident on her. This leads the CIA (in the form of some
Deadpool 2 actors) to recruit Hobbs & Shaw to go after Hattie, get the
virus, and stop Shaw, because apparently only they can do it. Hijinks, car chases, incredible actions scenes,
and a trip to Samoa ensue.
I was very excited when I found out this movie was going to be
directed by David Leitch. I was definitely one of the people who, after the
last movie, was all on board for a Hobbs & Shaw spin off. I was not disappointed. That does not mean this is a good movie – but
it is carefully crafted nonsense that stays well within its wheelhouse and delivers
exactly what it promises. Leitch is a
former stuntman who directed John Wick and Deadpool 2 – thus the aforementioned
cast members. The cast seems to be
having as much fun as humanly possible shooting a movie.
- Dwayne Johnson – look, I’m still calling him the Rock – plays Hobbs, who is basically the Rock. He saunters through this movie snapping at Statham and being large and grumbly. He’s there to throw around bad guys and reconcile with his family. Because its in the F&F franchise, so there will be family.
- Shaw is my favorite Jason Statham character in some time, mainly because it’s similar to some of his early Guy Ritchie style comedy-action bits. He spends most of the movie insulting the Rock and beating up bad guys. At no point in this one does he use his Olympic-level diving ability. You’ll have to rewatch the Meg for that.
- Idris Elba seems to be the one having the most fun as self described ‘black superman’ Brixton. He’s got all kinds of enhancements and tears through this movie being a stereotypical a bad guy as you can be. His charm and charisma carry him through. If they won’t let him be Bond, then by all means, let him continue to be great bad guys.
- Vanessa Kirby plays Hattie, and I loved her fight sequences. She got a few of them early on and they were all pretty fantastic. Of course, once she injects herself with the virus and hooks up with Hobbs & Shaw, she gets a bit damsel-in-distress-y, which is too bad, because she was an agent equal to both the guys.
- Helen Mirren is back as the Shaw matriarch, looking forward to the All-Shaws all-star special spin off where she leads Kirby and Statham on some epic heist-style adventures.
- Eliza Gonzalez plays Madame M, and I honestly cannot for the life of me explain her character. She seems to be a mercenary that Shaw knows who runs an all-female lingerie-based team of government-overthrowers? Maybe? In any case, Hobbs & Shaw head to her for weaponry once in Russia.
- Eddie Marsan plays Professor Andreiko who created the virus that is inside Hattie.
- Apparently, the Rock tried to get Jason Momoa to play his brother who lives back home in Samoa. Momoa was not available, so they did the next best thing and got Cliff Curtis. Curtis, while Maori, can and will play any and every ethnicity out there. I love him, but (and I hate to say this) Momoa would have been a better fit for the high-level of nonsense in this piece. Curtis’s max nonsense level is mid-range, Momoa goes all the way up.
- Lori Pelenise Tuisano plays the Hobbs clan mom, and she’s incredible. She’s eliminated all their guns and threatens people with her flip flop.
- John Tui, Joshua Mauga, and Joe Anoa’I (Roman Reigns) play assorted Hobbs brothers and cousins.
Again, I loved it – it’s not great, but I did love it. There was one thing I was disappointed by,
and that’s the cuts in the fight sequences. As a stuntman, Leitch should have
known to shoot the fight sequences in masters, from a distance, and have no
cuts. They would have been so much more
impactful that way. For example, think about that hallway sequence in the
Daredevil tv show, the opening to Blade 2, or the fights in Mortal Kombat. The folks in this movie are capable of
fantastic fight choreography, back up the camera, stop cutting, and let me see
it. The initial Hobbs & Shaw character
introductions in this movie are side by side split screen action sequences. In
my opinion, both of those should have been single shot action bits. Also – the giant Samoan battle sequence begins
with a Siva Tau war dance, would have been amazing with no cuts from that dance
through the first explosions! Now, I
know that’s realistic, but it would have been amazing, and a set piece that
stuck with the audiences.
8 out of 10 – it’s fun, it’s loud, it’s nonsense action.
Enjoy the popcorn and turn off your brain. Be sure to bring the family.
Bonus:
Blade 2 beginning – there’s still cuts in this sequence, but
look at how the camera is placed so that you can see all the movement…
Another example – Statham in the Transporter.
