Summary
The first theatrical spin-off of the Fast & Furious franchise is in safe hands with a fun ride that makes no apologies for not playing by the rules of this mortal realm.
There’s a rumour going around that the Fast & Furious franchise is headed into space. For a series that started with dudes street racing in LA, this seems like a leap: but lest we forget that The Fate of the Furious saw The Rock redirect a torpedo with his bare hands. If the series is headed for the atmosphere, HOBBS & SHAW might just be the launchpad.
After MI6 agent Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) attempts to deliver a virus McGuffin, she is stopped and framed by the superhuman Brixton (Idris Elba). Federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and mercenary Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) are activated by their respective people, and they must put aside their manly differences and learn to be fighty together.
In order to accept HOBBS & SHAW, you must come to terms with the fact that it doesn’t play by any rules of cinema or logic. You must accept that the franchise now has legitimate genetically engineered super villains. You must accept that the Samoans are so powerful, they can destroy a mercenary army with traditional weapons. You must also accept that the 52 year-old Statham and the 31 year-old Kirby grew up together as kids.
Operating on the simple premise of escalation, the entire film can be summed up by the pancakes The Rock consumes early in the film. They are oversized, completely unnecessary, and you know there’s still a whole lot of syrup to come. From brutal hand-to-hand moments to the more ridiculous car-versus-aircraft sequences we’ve come to expect, no sink is left out.
Designed completely to be a Rock and Statham delivery device, Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch relies on the charismatic presence of these two stars, with cameos from the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart, Eddie Marsan, Eiza González, and Helen Mirren adding to the insanity.
This is probably the point in the review where one would talk about technical aspects of the film, point to a few key action sequences, and highlight the amazing special effects. All of which are top-notch, of course, but that scarcely matters when the enjoyment to be had is in the sheer ticking clock momentum of one chase after the next. Even trying to explain the physics of Elba leaping onto a horizontal motorbike would be folly.
It’s clear from the multiple mid and post-credits scenes that there are plans afoot for multiple sequels with an overarching villain. I say bring it on! Multiple trucks, a heavy duty chain, and a fully armed helicopter can’t tear The Rock apart. If this franchise is headed into space, we mortals are powerless to stop it.
2019 | US | DIR: David Leitch | WRITER: Chris Morgan, Drew Pearce| CAST: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren | DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 136 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 1 August 2019 (AUS)
