Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw is NOT the 9th installment in the Fast and Furious franchise; it is considered a standalone film. The 9th film will hit theaters May 2020. Now that we got our facts straight, let’s hit the film!
The plot follows Shaw (Jason Statham) and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and their mission to locate a virus that would be able to melt a human’s insides. The beginning split screen between the actors is a great start and the banter between the two is a nice breakup from the endless action. Ryan Reynolds is fantastic as Locke with his normal Deadpool like humor. Kevin Hart also makes an entrance as Air Marshall Dinkley which is another welcome face to break it up.
I have seen just one of the Fast and Furious films in my life, many years ago, so I went in thinking that there may be a few scenes that reference things I didn’t understand. I was pleasantly surprised that that was not the case. I was able to follow along just the same. The movie was long at 2 hours and 15 minutes, and it felt like it. While it is a definite action movie, there were three very long action scenes and I am not convinced all three were necessary.
Billy and Kelly joined me for the film. While they would argue that they are not Fast and Furious super fans, they also have not missed a film ever. So, I’ll let you judge their credentials. Billy shares, “It was a lot of good action, although I thought it ran long. There was a lot of humor and Kevin Hart was a nice twist.” When asked how it relates to other films in the franchise he says, “It was more of a comedy than anything. It doesn’t really relate to the other movies besides the turbo boost that happened toward the end.” Kelly felt similar, “I really liked the banter between Shaw and Hobbs, there was definitely more than in previous films. I did not like the genetically modified story line. Also, I missed seeing The Rock!”
You don’t need to be a Fast and Furious fanatic to watch the film, however, being an action lover is a must. Stay through the credits to see another Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson scene!
Movie times: click here
Genre: Action, Adventure
Run Time: 2 hour, 15 minutes
Director: David Leitch
Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba
Rating: Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language.
