Movie Review: Fast & Furious 8 (Hobbs & Shaw)
So I caught the latest reboot of the Fast & Furious franchise, Hobbs and Shaw - a spin-off featuring two of the loveable rogues from the same, Dwayne "Rock" Johnson playing the ex federal agent Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham playing Deckard Shaw, British soldier turned mercenary. The plot of course is rubbish, as is in every other F&F movie - But this time, instead of Lettie (Michelle Rodriguez) there is Hattie (Vanessa Kirby) - yet another Shaw, who's a federal agent infected by a deadly virus. Which just happens to be the property of a mysterious group, frontlined by Black Superman, a man named Brixton - yet another soldier/agent modified by cyber-genetics into a one-man army (Idris Elba having a total blast on screen!). With Brixton planning to extract the virus from his sister and release it out into the whole world, the fate of the world rests in Deckard's hands. Can they stop this formidable foe in time?
Remember the two faced each other off in the last outing (F7) and that bristling animosity is back on full display in this movie as well, though couched well in sarcastic jabs, clever banter, chest-thumping and of course mind blowing action set pieces pulled off by each other in a fascinating display aggressive braggadocio and on-screen heroics.
Hobbs and Shaw as promised, is full of preposterously insane high octane-action set pieces that have no rights to be pulled off. It had to be bigger, crazier and better than Vin Diesel stopping a friggin' rocket with his body and surviving to tell that tale. And hells come alive, Gods forgive the makers, they pull it off. This time - the stunts are brazenly impossible, topping the franchise by an actual order of a magnitude, wildly entertaining defying logic at all times.
Best part about the movie? It's the clever jabs that the lead actors take at each other. Pot shots about the size of their underwear, "Mini-me vs Chewbacca" jokes, all counts. Which is why you don't really mind the little breathers that comes in between those car-crunching, muscle-grinding blitzkriegs of action chases and brutal fist fights. Johnson and Statham are clearly having fun, going at each other hammer and tongs breathlessly pouring insult after insult. Vanessa Kirby picks up where she left off, with MI: fallout, being the smart, sassy and tough fighter chick who brings the balance between the overdose of male testosterone on screen. And finally, it felt so good to see Idris Elba gleefully play the role of an antagonist who believes in the misguided cause of a better world. He's not his usual brooding self and enjoys the action sequences as much as the lead actors, matching them toe to toe and doing it better - because well, he is the Black Superman.
While there are no more scrappy drag races across the streets of America, this time the car chases are more intense, thrilling and real edge-of-the-seat ( or a fuckin' skyscraper!) across the flagstoned streets of Europe. The scale of destruction is massive and director David Leitch goes all out, to blow your minds and ears off in equal measure. But the underlying theme of "Family" supersedes everything else is back on full frontal. There is a backstory set in Samoa, teary reunions and brotherly backslapping as Hobbs goes back to his roots. And a clever twist towards the end that ensures that the final melee becomes a hand-to-hand brutal combat between the two sets facing off.
What was missing? Vin Fucking Diesel yes. Women in skimpy clothes flagging off supercars? Maybe. But the big brute Johnson and sneaky Statham leave no stone unturned in upping the momentum when it comes to the fights or the fun factor. There was one thing - because the two titular heroes are having so much fun, there is really no single moment of real tension that grips you. Like you know, throw the grenade at Johnson, he will gobble it up and then spit it right back at you. Or Statham will karate-kick it back at you, faster than you can blink. They are indestructible and showing off their machismo to each other in a bid to outdo each other. ( That scene in the corridor with Statham taking on ten-twelve henchmen while Johnson walks on, pretending to be bored! Oh my God.)
Should you watch this spin off? Of course you should. This is the heights of entertainment. A heady cocktail of action, comedy and blitzing thrill rides that will not let you down. A paper-thin plot that is forgotten in the face of the absolute fiery charisma of watching two of the best action stars in the business burn up the screen. With potential for more to come in the future!
Remember the two faced each other off in the last outing (F7) and that bristling animosity is back on full display in this movie as well, though couched well in sarcastic jabs, clever banter, chest-thumping and of course mind blowing action set pieces pulled off by each other in a fascinating display aggressive braggadocio and on-screen heroics.
Hobbs and Shaw as promised, is full of preposterously insane high octane-action set pieces that have no rights to be pulled off. It had to be bigger, crazier and better than Vin Diesel stopping a friggin' rocket with his body and surviving to tell that tale. And hells come alive, Gods forgive the makers, they pull it off. This time - the stunts are brazenly impossible, topping the franchise by an actual order of a magnitude, wildly entertaining defying logic at all times.
Best part about the movie? It's the clever jabs that the lead actors take at each other. Pot shots about the size of their underwear, "Mini-me vs Chewbacca" jokes, all counts. Which is why you don't really mind the little breathers that comes in between those car-crunching, muscle-grinding blitzkriegs of action chases and brutal fist fights. Johnson and Statham are clearly having fun, going at each other hammer and tongs breathlessly pouring insult after insult. Vanessa Kirby picks up where she left off, with MI: fallout, being the smart, sassy and tough fighter chick who brings the balance between the overdose of male testosterone on screen. And finally, it felt so good to see Idris Elba gleefully play the role of an antagonist who believes in the misguided cause of a better world. He's not his usual brooding self and enjoys the action sequences as much as the lead actors, matching them toe to toe and doing it better - because well, he is the Black Superman.
While there are no more scrappy drag races across the streets of America, this time the car chases are more intense, thrilling and real edge-of-the-seat ( or a fuckin' skyscraper!) across the flagstoned streets of Europe. The scale of destruction is massive and director David Leitch goes all out, to blow your minds and ears off in equal measure. But the underlying theme of "Family" supersedes everything else is back on full frontal. There is a backstory set in Samoa, teary reunions and brotherly backslapping as Hobbs goes back to his roots. And a clever twist towards the end that ensures that the final melee becomes a hand-to-hand brutal combat between the two sets facing off.
What was missing? Vin Fucking Diesel yes. Women in skimpy clothes flagging off supercars? Maybe. But the big brute Johnson and sneaky Statham leave no stone unturned in upping the momentum when it comes to the fights or the fun factor. There was one thing - because the two titular heroes are having so much fun, there is really no single moment of real tension that grips you. Like you know, throw the grenade at Johnson, he will gobble it up and then spit it right back at you. Or Statham will karate-kick it back at you, faster than you can blink. They are indestructible and showing off their machismo to each other in a bid to outdo each other. ( That scene in the corridor with Statham taking on ten-twelve henchmen while Johnson walks on, pretending to be bored! Oh my God.)
Should you watch this spin off? Of course you should. This is the heights of entertainment. A heady cocktail of action, comedy and blitzing thrill rides that will not let you down. A paper-thin plot that is forgotten in the face of the absolute fiery charisma of watching two of the best action stars in the business burn up the screen. With potential for more to come in the future!
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