Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Ryan Reynolds, Helen Mirren, Kevin Hart, Eddie Marsan, Eliana Su'a, Cliff Curtis, Lori Pelenise Tuisano, Eiza Gonzalez

Director: David Leitch

Hobbs (Johnson) and Shaw (Statham), peripheral characters in the F & F franchise (to which this has little connection) get their own movie in a formulaic Bond-style romp about the Snowflake virus, which disintegrates human innards, invented by a Russian scientist (Marsan) who wishes he hadn't.

The virus is stolen by Shaw's sister (Kirby) who injects herself with it to save it falling into the hands of the bad guys, led by Elba, a genetically-improved super-mercenary.

CIA fixer Lock (Reynolds, unbilled) hires one-time enemies Hobbs and Shaw to sort it all out. Which they do, via innumerable car and helicopter chases, fights with hordes of dispensable goons and a visit to picturesque Samoa, supposedly Hobbs' ancestral home.

Johnson, Statham and Kirby go through the motions, pose nicely for the action scenes and indulge in growly banter. You shouldn't believe a word of it, especially as the best bits are nearly all in the trailer; do try to avoid that if you want to enjoy this by-the-numbers but busy slugfest stuffed with tired, tough-guy dialogue.

David Quinlan

USA 2019. UK Distributor: Universal (Focus). Colour by Company 3.
131 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 08 Dec 2019

DVD review