Johnson, Statham shine in fun action extravaganza
Back in 2001, the Fast and Furious franchise began with a mildly amusing, relatively small-scale first instalment.
Over the past few years, the series has transformed into a testosterone-fuelled collection of fights, explosions, and slo-mo montages.
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw sees it become even bigger.
This time around, frenemies Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham) begrudgingly team up to find Shaw's sister, Hattie (Vanessa Kirby).
The trio must keep a deadly, man-made virus away from genetically enhanced super-soldier Brixton (Idris Elba).
Undeniably, Hobbs and Shaw lacks the finesse of Mad Max: Fury Road or even Mission: Impossible - Fallout.
Whereas those are thrilling from start to finish, this spin-off spins its wheels for extended periods.
The movie suffers greatly due to its exhaustive, unnecessary 135-minute run-time.
Every so often, however, Hobbs and Shaw fires on all cylinders.
Johnson and Statham are two of the most charming, charismatic movie stars of our time.
Despite their share of hits and misses (The Tooth Fairy, anyone?), they always manage to come out the other side unscathed.
The twosome dish out many insults and one-liners to great effect.
Aware of the movie's tone, Johnson and Statham become a buddy-cop duo worth rooting for.
Kirby, fresh off of Fallout and acclaimed Netflix series The Crown, delights as the yin to Johnson and Statham's yang.
Giving it his all, Elba proves that bad guys have more fun.
Director David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) plays to his cast's strengths and serves up a polished production.
Off the leash in almost every scene, Statham's set-pieces all deliver top-notch fight choreography and fewer edits.
Compared to many of this year's blockbusters (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Men in Black: International, The Lion King), Hobbs and Shaw is a breath of fresh air.
