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Hereâs the thing about the Fast & Furious franchise: it can be dumb fun. Every movie has the right to be entertaining even if it completely disregards physics and logic⌠As long as it establishes its tone from the start. You canât make an action film where the main characters survive basically everything they shouldnât and take everything seriously. Itâs not that you canât have that mix of tones (Furious 7 did it brilliantly), but thatâs reserved for some of the best movies of the year since itâs not easy (at all) to balance so many different things. Hobbs & Shaw sets its tone in the first 10 minutes, and everyone knows what theyâre getting themselves into. However, it didnât quite work for me this timeâŚ
The Fast & Furious saga is an undeniable success, even more in my country where it constantly breaks box-office records. It possesses everything a popcorn blockbuster should have: tons of action (car chases, explosions, fights, shootouts), easy-to-follow plot, and simple character development. Thereâs no problem in leaving your brain at the entrance of the theater for a couple of hours and just have fun. Of course, Hobbs & Shaw is ridiculous. Itâs completely absurd, it has no sense of logic, and itâs unbelievable how many physics-defying sequences occur. But thatâs exactly what they establish in those first few minutes, so people just need to sit comfortably and eat that whole bag of popcorn while watching the most ludicrous action on-screen.
So, if the tone is well-balanced, why didnât I enjoy it as much as the rest? People seem to be having tremendous fun (even critics who usually demolish this type of films are liking it), so I guess Iâm in the minority here, but I just found the action pretty underwhelming, and the comedy was way off for me. Granted, there are huge set pieces, and there are a couple of great action scenes, especially a motorbike-car chase between Brixton, Hobbs, and Shaw. True, there are a couple of laughs that I couldnât contain due to how amazing Statham and Johnsonâs chemistry is. Nevertheless, overall, I just donât think itâs enough.
First of all, my main issue with the story: Brixton. Idris Elba is incredible as always, and I really want him to be the next James Bond. However, his character is so poorly written and so horribly explored that I wonder why they made him an enhanced machine with superpowers. Literally, thereâs no difference between him and the other two main characters, which ultimately destroys the âsuperheroâ vibe Elba should have. Thatâs the problem with having such an absurd movie: if your âheroesâ are undefeatable due to their enormous plot armor, how is your âsuperpowered villainâ different than them? If an explosion goes off with the three of them close, why do Hobbs and Shaw survive in the same way Brixton does? How does a punch from a âblack Supermanâ has the same impact as a punch from the other two?
Then, the comedy. Itâs not like I disliked Statham and Johnson bantering for five straight minutes in three different scenes. Itâs just too long, and not all of the jokes land. The film itself is way too long, just over two hours. If I didnât know about the whole Samoa sequence from occasionally seeing it on a TV spot, I would have believed the movie was about to end when it started its third act. It feels like itâs going to end, but then thereâs a whole other massive action set piece to show off. For the first time in a long, long time, I almost fell asleep during the transition from the second-to-last to the last action moment. The action is also very disappointing having in mind David Leitch is directing. Too many quick cuts, and way too choppy.
Finally, thereâs an attempt at the start of a romance that I wonât spoil, but ⌠Itâs not like itâs forced because it actually isnât. It follows a logical path, characters donât say stupid stuff to each other, and it was surprisingly being a good way of stopping to breathe and relax away from all the action. However, as the film reaches its conclusion, they ditch it altogether and never address it anymore. Thereâs even a line similar to âIâll let you have a kiss tomorrow if weâre still aliveâ, but they never go there again. Itâs like it never happened⌠Why? The only thing that was truly being logical and emotionally compelling is completely ignored by the end. Thatâs disappointing.
I donât want to be too harsh on the movie because I do understand how entertaining and fun it might be. Iâm sure audiences will love it, and fans of the franchise will love it even more. The chemistry of the cast is palpable, and everyone is terrific. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham are awesome as the action superstars, and theyâre definitely the main source of entertainment. Vanessa Kirby is also pretty great, and I have to commend the film for keeping two spectacular cameos under wraps. You wonât believe whoâs in this movie as well. There are still a couple of cool action sequences, and I did laugh more than a couple of times, so I guess it isnât as bad as this review might transmit.
I know Iâm in the minority, so I recommend all of you to go watch it and judge it for yourselves. If you enjoy absurdity, ridiculousness, and over-the-top action, as well as cheesy comedy, Hobbs & Shaw might be perfect for you. It didnât really work for me, though. The comedy was not as good as I expected, the action is not that captivating, and Brixton is such a horribly written and unexplored character, that I kept feeling frustrated every time an action sequence ended. Go for the huge set pieces and the dumb fun, stay for the amazing castâs chemistry.
PS: if you havenât watched Game Of Thrones by now, heavy spoilers in this film. Youâve been warned.
Rating: C
