Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

 

**This post contains spoilers** 

The Story- Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) reluctantly team up to protect Shaw’s sister and  MI6 agent, Hattie (Vanessa Kirby). Carrying a deadly virus, Hattie is pursued by Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a former MI6 agent and Eteon’s number one cybernetically enhanced operative. Eteon, a terrorist organization powered by advanced technology and weapons, plans to unleash the virus to fulfill their vision for an evolved future. 

Hobbs, Shaw, and Hattie will have to work together to defeat Eteon and Brixton. But the trio runs into a big problem, when their plans unravel during a botched mission at Eteon’s base in Ukraine. 

My Thoughts- The playful one-upsmanship and the banter between Johnson and Statham is truly the driving force behind Hobbs & Shaw. Johnson and Statham have undeniable chemistry together, and the split screen for Hobbs and Shaw’s morning routines was a nice touch. You’ll see some noticeable similarities between the two. But the differences are still clear, with Shaw being more sophisticated and polished, while Hobbs is more of a rugged, down to earth guy, who likes to flex his muscles. 

Brixton Lore leans too much on the cool bad guy (“I’m Black Superman!”) side of things at times, but Idris Elba is still a fantastic villain here. Yeah, all the fancy gadgetry and high tech accessories and weapons strengthens Brixton’s character, as this seemingly unstoppable and intimidating threat, but Elba has a strong presence. Elba’s impressive charisma and his confident performance as Brixton is one of the bigger highlights in the movie, truly a great choice for the main adversary to match the superstar duo of Hobbs and Shaw. 

Hattie Shaw is resourceful and fierce. Vanessa Kirby delivers a solid performance as Hattie, and Hattie’s sharp sarcasm is good for a few laughs. Ryan Reynolds brings his usual brand of snappy humor. I can’t think of too many actors, who could simultaneously explain the seriousness of a deadly virus being unleashed on the world with gory details, while also adding in comedic bits to the explanation, without undermining the severity of the situation. But Reynolds nailed the scene at the diner, when he tells Hobbs about the virus.

Kevin Hart makes the most of his brief screen time, with a few appearances as a spirited goofball. Eiza Gonzalez has a short role, but her character plays an important part in the story. Similar to Kevin Hart, Gonzalez doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but she still manages to make an impact as Madam M. And it’s always nice to see Helen Mirren reprise her role as Queenie. Eddie Marsan only has a handful of appearances as Professor Andreiko, but Marsan still delivers an impactful performance for an important character. 

The Rock makes an effort to bring some pro wrestling moments and references to Hobbs & Shaw. Hobbs’ People’s Eyebrow during a Face Time call with his daughter, Sam (Eliana Su’a), and Mateo (Joe Anoa’i/Roman Reigns) hits a Samoan Drop on an Eteon soldier, followed by a spear, complete with Reigns’ signature roar afterwards. 

Speaking of Reigns, I’m still wondering if he’ll make that big transition to Hollywood one day. Dave Bautista and Rock are the two big success stories for transitioning from pro wrestling to acting. Maybe Reigns will get a bigger role one day, and a chance to really show off what he can do.

The big final battle delivers a good amount of thrills, while proudly showcasing Johnson’s roots and his Samoan heritage. The irony of the supposedly superior and more technologically advanced Eteon suffering a decisive loss at the hands Hobbs, Shaw, Hattie, and the Samoans really works for a satisfying conclusion. In the end, Brixton and Eteon’s fancy technology couldn’t overcome teamwork, friendship, pure heart, and grit, easily dismantling Eteon’s beliefs about the weak and ineffective human race needing to confirm to their crazy ideas for a technological evolution.

Brixton has a sad ending. Before The Eteon Director decommissions Brixton, you can tell at one point in his life, Brixton was probably a good guy. He lost his way and was sucked into Eteon’s radical agenda, and Elba did a good job of selling Brixton’s confusion and disbelief. A loyal and dedicated solider for Eteon, who risked his life, but he was disposed of like yesterday’s trash, when he failed. Throughout the movie, Brixton is a seemingly unstoppable force, so he genuinely couldn’t believe in the possibility of losing to Hobbs and Shaw.

Hobbs & Shaw is predictable. You know at some point, Hobbs and Shaw will have to truly trust each other. They’ll have to put aside their differences, squash their big egos, and cohesive teamwork was the simple secret to defeating Brixton. Executing Hattie to stop the spread of the virus? I never believed it was a possibility, because there was no point in teasing so many close calls, unless they ultimately planned on Hattie surviving.

Still, Hobbs & Shaw is an enjoyable film, featuring hard hitting and slick action sequences. It’s a pure adrenaline rush, moving at fast pace, with the right amount of cheesiness. The runtime is close enough to three hours, but Hobbs & Shaw never drags. The casting is superb. Everyone in the main cast feels like the right fit for their personas, and Hobbs is a character that perfectly plays to The Rock’s strengths as an actor. 

Hobbs & Shaw is a fun and big over the top action blockbuster, complete with explosions and slow motion fight scenes, and happy endings. Hobbs buries the hatchet with his brother, Jonah (Cliff Curtis), he reconnects with his family, and Sam finally gets to meet her grandmother, Sefina (Lori Pelenise Tuisano). Hattie and Deckard visit Queenie in prison, fulfilling Queenie’s wish of seeing her children together as brother and sister again. Oh, and of course there’s a cliffhanger with Hattie and Deckard working together to help Queenie break out of prison. 

There’s a lot of material to work with for a sequel. We still don’t know the true identity for The Director Of Eteon. It’s only a distorted voice to keep the secret, and The Voice is quick to let Hobbs and Shaw know they’re not in the clear yet after Brixton’s death. 

Will Hattie and Hobbs become a couple? A romance between the two is constantly teased. Hobbs being romantically involved with Shaw’s sister is worth pursuing to see how Shaw will react. I do wonder if Vanessa Kirby would return for a sequel. A lot of potential with Hobbs, Shaw, and Hattie working together, with Hattie being the voice of reason or the peacemaker, when Hobbs and Shaw inevitably butt heads. 

Rating- 7/10