HOBBS AND SHAW: FRANCHISE OFFSHOOT OFFERS THRILLS

The FAST AND FURIOUS films have taken theaters by storm over the past two decades. That’s right, the movie series has been around almost 20 years now, starting with the first film back in 2001. With eight films already released and more on the way it’s become one of the biggest blockbuster series around. It’s also upped the ante with more outrageous and unbelievable stunts in each picture. Now an offshoot of the series has been released and makes its way to disc this week. Enter FAST AND FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW.

Dwayne Johnson was introduced in the fifth film as Luke Hobbs, a DSS agent trying to track down Vin Diesel and his crew. He eventually teamed with the group over time. Jason Statham appeared first in the seventh film as bad guy Deckard Shaw, an ex-MI6 agent out to avenge his brother’s death. He too eventually changed his attitude and began working with the team and with Hobbs though the pair blended like water and oil. That doesn’t stop much in this film.

The film opens in London where Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), the younger sister of Deckard, and a team of MI6 agents recover a vial containing a deadly virus. Before they can make off with the vial they’re attacked by Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a cyber enhanced agent for a secret organization called Eteon. Hattie injects the virus into herself and avoids capture. But Eteon paints a different picture, blaming her for the deaths of her fellow agents and now both MI6 and the CIA are trying to capture her.

Hobbs is with his daughter eating breakfast when he’s approached by CIA agent Locke (Ryan Reynolds) and told this is an end of the world scenario and he’s needed to track down Hattie. Deckard is contacted by an old MI6 agent who tells him the same thing, adding that his sister is who needs to be found. The two run into one another when they both find Hattie and take her to the CIA’s office in London. While arguing about not working together the office is attacked and Brixton take Hattie with both Hobbs and Shaw in pursuit.

From here the pair that becomes a trio end up moving across the globe in an attempt to remove the virus from Hattie and get it back to their superiors. All the way they are thwarted in those attempts by Brixton who seems superhuman. His eyes can calculate the direction of a punch, his strength is enhanced, his armor is bulletproof and his motorcycle has a sort of mental connection to his cybernetics. In addition to that he has a grudge against Shaw. It seems Shaw shot him three times and left him for dead in the past.

All of what I’ve told you so far happens in the first 40 minutes of the film, a film that runs over 2 hours. Yes there is a ton of action to behold here in this film. And rather than play out like a FAST AND FURIOUS movie this one seems more inclined to seem like a Bond flick. They’ve decided to go all in with the extreme stunts and unrealistic moments to the point it seems nothing like the first film in the franchise. So does that make it a good or a bad movie?

I’d heard that the film was terrible from a friend after the first half. I was expecting that to be the case. But I did three things before watching it. I had my bowl of popcorn and root beer ready beside me. I turned off the lights to enjoy the film. And I checked my sense of belief at the door before pushing play on the remote. This was a movie made for fun, a ride through a haunted house that bounced you around and never once expected you to believe that anything was real or even remotely possible. I mean unless you honestly think Dwayne Johnson can stop a helicopter from flying away with his bare hands.

The movie was nothing but fun. And it wasn’t just the action level on display, definitely reaching an eleven, but the back and forth banter between Hobbs and Shaw throughout the film. You know that on the surface they can’t stand one another and are completely different. Hobbs is more in your face and smash things in his way while Shaw offers more finesse and style with his fluid martial arts maneuvers. But through it all you also know there is a genuine respect between the characters and that their differences complement one another.

I’ve enjoyed all the movies in the series and that includes this one in the spinoff. Odds are good that a sequel is in order since there are three post credit scenes that lead up to it. If they choose not to cut costs and make it like this one that could result in another fun movie. All we can do is wait and see. We can also enjoy this one in the meantime. 

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