Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw  ★★

THERE’S little doubt the acting abilities of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Jason Statham are limited, perhaps even questionable.

But you can’t deny both have on-screen charisma that shines with the right vehicle.

Hobbs and Shaw, the first Fast and Furious franchise spin-off, is not that vehicle for several reasons.

The script is awful, the fight scenes are boring and repetitive and the running time is way too long.

The eight Fast and Furious films are notorious for requiring constant suspension of disbelief by the audience. Generally that’s fine for a big, dumb, loud action movie.

But this film makes audiences go way beyond that with sequences that are frankly stupid in concept and execution and, in some cases, involving tasks that would test The Avengers

Exhibit 1 – no human, not even The Rock, could compete in a tug-of-war with a flying helicopter. It’s stupid and ludicrous so why do it.

Exhibit 2 – a car mechanic would not be able to repair a machine designed by a scientist that can extract virus capsules from the human bloodstream. Again, it’s stupid and ludicrous so why do it.

Exhibit 3 – notwithstanding the slightly sci-fi element to the film, a superhuman cyborg is constantly unable to rise above the level of bumbling fool, despite his intelligence and deadly force.

There are a few things to like about the film. An early car/motorbike chase through the crowded streets of London is impressive, a fight while abseiling down a high-rise is ridiculous but fun and one of two surprise comic cameos provided the best laughs of the film.

Idris Elba plays the villain, perhaps in an on-screen, physical audition for a future Bond role. He’s good as always but I can’t help feeling like he is slumming it.

Otherwise, that’s about it for the positives. The script is way below par, in particular the constant comedy of personal insults traded between the two main characters which is meant to be endearing but just comes across as boring and repetitive. Every scene of dialogue between any of the characters seems to be unnecessarily drawn out.

A couple of the fight scenes are good, particularly the two in the opening 10 minutes or so, but from then on The Rock and Staham constantly wield makeshift weapons and pieces of metal to hammer their attackers; as if they couldn’t manage just by using their fists and feet.

Finally, when you think the ending is nigh you remember from the trailer that there is another entire sequence in Samoa to come. Add another half hour of average action, climaxing with a fight scene that reinforces everything that is wrong with this effort.

David Leitch stuntman (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde)

Writers:

Chris Morgan five others in series, Drew Pearce