Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren, Eiza Gonzalez, Eddie Marsan, Eliana Sua, Cliff Curtis, Lori Pelenise Tuisano, John Tui, Joshua Mauga, Joe Anoa’i, Rob Delaney, Alex King, Tom Wu, John Macdonald, Ryan Reynolds.
Spin-offs of a successful franchise are almost, always, inevitable. The cash cow in the studio is automatically milked, the fans see a continuation of their favourite characters, and unsurprisingly the chain continues, the certainty of unavoidability is maintained.
The issue of such an indirect sequel to the main action comes from the idea that you cannot watch the film in question unless you have watched all the others in the main series, the sense of cohesion and balance is skewed, the idea of ploughing through several others in order to watch one that has caught your eye because it doesn’t adhere too strictly to the way the central ethos of the running joke or serious social commentary can put a viewer off and therefore denying themselves what could be arguably seen as a entertaining ride, two hours of escapism that actually has a point and progresses the story line with comfort.
Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a case in point, a near perfect example of what can be done with characters who stand out from a long running franchise and to whom the idea of placing in the realms of what is considered to be a buddy movie, is to be admired; even if the premise of the storyline doesn’t deviate too far from its original parent, it still has the wit, guile, and more importantly, the right actors in which to carry it off with aplomb and humour.
What also makes Hobbs & Shaw stand out is how relatable it is when placed into the context of the times it inhabits, a virus that can wipe out all but a select few of the population, a time limit in which the protagonists have in which to save the world, and with greater difficulty, find a way to actually work together, it feels eerily familiar, and with good reason, it is the staple of any a good spy film, of any cinema production that requires aggression, resentment and rivalry between its main characters; and if there is a passionate interest that acts on the idea of the interminable love triangle, then as escapism goes, it has almost everything the viewer needs to enjoy the outing.
Such films are not meant to highlight the subtle craft of acting, they will not be placed in the viewer’s mind of changing the world through context or through insightful writing, but they can alter the perception of cinema, of how we can find a car chase exhilarating, of how stunts can be invigorating and seeing an exaggerated form of heroism can be a thrill to which the soul acknowledges as a respite from the world we have allowed ourselves to subjected to.
Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is not the greatest or even demanding of films you will ever sit down to watch, but at its heart it is one of the funniest, stimulating movies that you will come across, packed with testosterone, it flexes its muscles and you cannot but help admire its belief; well worth a ride.
Ian D. Hall