A review of “Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw”

Since the first film in 2001, the “Fast & Furious” series has become Universal’s biggest franchise, currently ranking as the tenth-highest-grossing film series of all time with a combined take of over $5 billion. Now I am not in the demographic at which these films is aimed, but this is the second time that I have allowed a younger friend to take me to a component of the franchise, this one the ninth but the first stand-alone spin-off.

This time eponymous American Luke Hobbs (the huge Dawyne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) and British Deckard Shaw (hard man Jason Statham) are reluctantly compelled to join forces to tackle a scientifically-enhanced villain called Brixton (Idris Elba), each of whom offers and receives considerable bodily violence in the midst of the franchise’s trademark feature of plentiful action sequences usually involving various modes of transport.

We’ve seen Hobbs and Shaw before but a newcomer is Shaw’s sister Hattie played delightfully by Vanessa Kirby and cameo performances come from the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart and Helen Mirren. The action is leavened with much humour and the funny lines continue in a whole series of scenes interspersed in the credits.

Just leave your brain at the door of the cinema and enjoy the ride.


 




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