#Review Hobbs & Shaw

If you’re in the mood to watch a fun and exciting summer action flick, look no further than “Hobbs & Shaw.” The first spin-off in the long-running “The Fast and The Furious” series, the movie follows the titular heroes as they’re forced to team up to save the world form an evil organization determined to wipe out half of the world’s population.

Returning to the roles of Hobbs and Shaw are Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham respectively. The charismatic stars deliver performances that you’d expect from two actors in roles they’ve spent the last eight years establishing. The duo play well together and their excellent chemistry grounds the movie. I assure you, the chemistry between Johnson and Statham is reason enough to see this movie. The hostility and friendly rivalry the pair have for each other is such a treat to watch, resulting in some of the movie’s most hilarious scenes. Which is saying a lot because although the movie is at times, a prime example of a generic Hollywood blockbuster, there’s no denying that “Hobbs & Shaw” is an action-comedy deserving of the name.

Does it often devolve into ridiculously clichéd action movie tropes? Absolutely. But isn’t that what anyone walking into this movie is expecting? Let’s put it this way: If you’re a fan of the franchise and enjoyed even one of the last eight movies, you’ll have a good time with “Hobbs & Shaw.” Fast cars, loud explosions and overly masculine men should provide fans with all the elements they’ve come to expect from this beloved series.

You can also expect a script that could have benefitted from sharper writing. Picture the cheesiest action hero dialogue and one-liners you can think of. “Hobbs & Shaw” is filled with them. While the actual overall story is engaging, boy oh boy does the rest of the script feel like it was written by two 14-year-olds. It’s certainly not the worst written movie I’ve ever seen, far from it. There are just times when you’re watching the movie and think to yourself, “wow, I can’t believe that’s an actual line in this movie.” Maybe I’m overanalyzing a movie whose main concern is to dish out heart-stopping action and excitement (which it more than delivers on) but I think that if “Hobbs & Shaw” had a slightly more clever script it could have taken the movie from a three-star viewing experience to a four.

An electrifying and entertaining blend of action and comedy from start to finish, “Hobbs & Shaw” is a safe if not predictable time at the movies. Even before walking into the theatre you know exactly what you’re going to get and the common movie-goer should be pleasantly satisfied. This is a movie that you’re more than welcome to turn your brain off for while you shovel handfuls of popcorn into your mouth. Are these movies the greatest ever made? No, but they’re an important part of the summer movie-going experience and “Hobbs & Shaw” more than fills this year’s quota.

Universal Pictures releases Hobbs & Shaw in theatres on Friday, August 2, 2019

[Review by Luke Elisio]