The Fast & Furious franchise gets an odd couple spinoff in Hobbs & Shaw, sending two of its most beloved characters off on another mission to save the world.
Like all the other films in this franchise, the plot isn’t really important here. Sure, you need a bad guy (in this case a cyber-genetically enhanced Idris Elba) to chase through increasingly insane set pieces, but that’s about it. The joy comes from the action and the banter, both of which should be big and loud thanks to Dwayne Johnson (Hobbs) and Jason Statham (Shaw) leading the way. They’ve previously shown great chemistry together, and fans are falling over themselves to see them bounce off each other for an entire film.
Longtime Fast & Furious writer Chris Morgan handled the script, so I wouldn’t expect much change from the series’ core identity. They even picked up a sturdy action/comedy director in David Leitch, who made his name as the uncredited co-director of John Wick and has since put up a series of solid action films including Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2.
Co-staring with the big boys is Vanessa Kirby, who from the look of this trailer will have a pretty significant role. She turned heads with her brief part in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and she’ll get a chance to back up that promise here.
But really, this is all about Johnson and Statham, two huge names in blockbuster cinema that carry such goodwill that we’re all sort of rooting for this thing, even if it doesn’t actually need our help.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is directed by David Leitch and stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, and Vanessa Kirby. It will be released in the US and the UK on August 2nd, 2019. For international release dates, click here.
How excited are you for this one? Let us know in the comments!
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