Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw Review

Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw
Director: David Leitch
Cast Headliners: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba
Original Release Date: August 2nd 2019

There's perhaps an inevitability in Hollywood today that any blockbuster franchise with a big enough scope or cast of characters is going to result in a side-franchise or spinff within it. Vin Diesel's ridiculous Fast and Furious film series may as well now be a cinematic universe up there with the likes of the MCU or Jurassic Park so it makes since that something as silly as Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw exists. In essence it distills the manliest car-racing-est nonsensical franchise into its core elements.... the most tough of dues, the most straight forward of plots, and little else. It's of course not of an objective quality of recognition but oh is it sure fun.
One can pretty much jump right into this film but it helps to have seen the redemption arc of these former antagonists / anti-heroes FBI agent Luke Hobbs(Dwayne The Rock Johnson) and Deckard Shaw(Jason Statham). Events transpire(after some fun / neatly side cut together solo adventures) where these two gruff men must set aside their dislike each other and team up to save the world...for a 9th time as a whole. Expect a lot of comedic “Hey I'm not working with him!” gruff jokes through the film as the two balance their attitudes with each other.
The plot in question actually introduces some more of Shaw's family. The main part of the trio ends up being Shaw's sister Hattie(Vanessa Kirby) who has part of a secret biological super-weapon trapped within her. They're pursued in a villainous fashion by the mysterious Eteon super-criminal organization and their main cyborg-like enforcer Brixton Lore(Idris Elba) who hunts them with his team of elite armored mercenary commandos everywhere. He's about as generic as a villain as can be although he is menacing. Yes, this series was once about car racing. There's actually no car racing in this film at all which gives the film a bit of its own flair although cars do get used...in crazy ways.
That's probably the main appeal of these films anymore in that one always is surprised and wonders what comes next for how disbelief will be suspended and logic thrown out the window. New-to-the-series David Leitch is here (of John Wick and Deadpool involvement!) and he's a fair fit. There's plentiful action and admittedly it can be very gritty fun. It's at its best when there's punches or gunfights but there's some wild larger stuff. CGI is of course, and perhaps as wanted, a bit poor but adds to the crazy scale. There's actually a bit less “HAHAHHAHAHA WHAT THE HECK HOW” moments in this film than the past and most were in the trailers but they're in there especially as the end approaches. This is especially true in the  lush visualed American Samoa based finale that must be seen firsthand.
So too is the comedy not the series' best but it has its fun. As mentioned Johnson's Hobbs and Statham's Shaw are at their usual best, especially with the great chemistry with each other as well as Kirby's Hattie. They quip they argue they make plans all in typical decent if generically so sense. There's actually some more attempts to build out their characters with family and friends. Hobbs deals with not only his daughter Sam (Elliana Sua) but also his mother Sefina(Lori Pelenise Tuisano) and many brothers and cousins including Jonah(Cliff Curtis) and Mateo(Roman Reigns of the WWE too) . Former cameo superstar Shaw family mother Queenie(Hellen Mirren) shows up for Shaw who shows some cheesy backstory scenes for the siblings.  Also be on the lookout for great bit parts in CIA agent Locke(Ryan Reynolds!) and air marshal Dinkley(Kevin Hart) who's jokes are some of the films few un-covered until the last minute in press fun bits that fit so well.
None of this really sets any bars and it's all incredibly dumb but it will provide the entertainment to its target audience especially if they don't mind those two characters. It's simple dumb summer action comedy fun that perhaps purposefully is a bit less of a stride or fresh than the last few yet also having its own interesting perks. It's still fast and furious, or so, when it tries. 7.5 out of 10.