Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw

Certificate: 12A

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby

Release date: 2019

4 out of 5

4

Back in 2001, crime action movie The Fast And The Furious became a smash hit, and has since been followed by seven sequels, all loosely focused on heists, spying and illegal street racing.

Hobbs & Shaw is the first spin-off from the main franchise (there is also an expected animated TV series in the works) and it focuses on two of the most enjoyable characters who have appeared in previous instalments – DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) who made his debut in Fast Five, and assassin Deckard Shaw (Statham), whom we first met in Fast & Furious 6.

They don’t exactly get along, but when technology-enhanced bad guy Brixton Lore (Elba) appears on the scene and a scary virus goes missing, they are told to work together to stop him and locate MI6 agent Hattie (Kirby) – who just happens to be Shaw’s sister.

More a buddy comedy/Mission: Impossible style movie than one packed with car chases – though there is a pretty impressive one, filmed in Glasgow (doubling for London) – this is dumb, silly fun that relies on a daftly humorous script, some terrific action sequences and four top performances from odd couple Johnson and Statham, kick ass Kirby and Elba (who seems to be auditioning for a role as a Bond villain).

Kirby, especially, is superb as tough Hattie, but there is also much joy in watching Johnson and Statham throw grumbling one liners at each other, punching numerous bad guys and, in the case of Johnson, pulling a helicopter down from the sky using just a chain and his mighty arms.

There are some neat cameos too (which we won’t spoil here) and while the plot is pretty thin – defeat baddie, remove virus from sister, save the day – the over the top action is indeed fast and furious, and never disappoints.

Is Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

This is an action movie aimed at older kids and teens. It does feature numerous fight scenes, action sequences and car chases that may be too intense for young viewers.

There is also some bad language, some crude humour and sex references.

Squeamish viewers won’t like a scene in which a character’s metal-enhanced spine is revealed, and there is also a scene which involves electrocution used as a torture device.

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