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Hobbs And Shaw Blu-ray Review

“Hobbs and Shaw” is big dumb fun.

“Hobbs and Shaw” (the first spin-off of in the Fast and Furious franchise) centers around the titular characters Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw. The two reluctantly have to work together find a supervirus dubbed Snowflake. They soon discover that Deckard’s sister Hattie has injected herself with the virus after a super soldier (Brixton) was trying to get it. Brixton works for the mysterious Eteon and is making the lives of Hattie, Deckard and Luke a living hell as he tracks them and tries to get the virus. Meanwhile, Luke, Deckard and Hattie are trying to find a safe way to remove the virus from Hattie before time runs out.

If you’re a fan of the Fast and Furious franchise there’s no reason you won’t be entertained by “Hobbs and Shaw.” This crowd pleasing, mindless, action spectacle is very much in line with the ongoing franchise. In fact, I’d place it above a fair number of the Furious installments. For the most part, it delivers everything you could want. If you’re looking for cartoony and absurd action sequences, this movie has you covered. If you just want to see Dwayne Johnson/The Rock and Jason Statham bicker and banter, you get plenty of that here. The two action stars play so well off of each other and are in peak form here.

The real star of this movie, however, isn’t the title characters, but rather Vanessa Kirby who plays Hattie Shaw (Deckard’s bad-ass sister). She steals every scene she is in and proves to be one of the best characters in the series already. Hopefully she will be in more installments to come.

While I won’t give away any spoilers, fans will be delighted by some great surprise movie star cameos who are now characters in this universe. To no surprise, their scenes are among the best in the film as well. You’ll know them when you see them.

“Hobbs and Shaw” isn’t without some flaws. Even though Idris Elba gives it his all here, the character of Brixton doesn’t work or fit with this universe. His super soldier character feels more like something from a comic book more than anything else. He’s also a disappointingly throwaway villain as evidenced by the ending. Also, even though Deckard is a quality character, it’s still odd that a former enemy of Luke, Dom and co. is now an ally (especially after he apparently killed Han). I just have a hard time believing they’d ever work with him or trust him again.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? A crisp hi-def transfer.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? This action packed movie gets a fittingly loud and dynamic Atmos track.

Extras:

* DVD copy

* Digital copy

* Alternate opening and 22 deleted/extended scenes including more scenes with the big cameo stars.

* “Johnson and Statham: Hobbs and Shaw”- A featurette about the dynamic between the two characters and actors.

* “Progress Of A Fight Scene With Director Dvaid Leitch”- A look at the various stages that go into making a fight scene.

* “Practical Action”- An extra about the physical fights and action.

* “The Bad Guy”- A featurette on the villain Brixton.

* “The Sister”- A featurette on the new character Hattie.

* “Hobbs’ Family Tree”- The title says it all.

* “The Matriarch”- This bonus feature is about Deckard’s mother character.

* “New Friends”- An extra about those cameos/new characters

* “Elevator Action”- A quick piece about the elevator action sequence.

* “Stunt Show And Tell”- A behind the scenes look at action sequences.

* “Keeping It In The Family: A Conversation With Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns”

* “Blind Fury”- Some tidbits about Dwayne’s own family.

* “Dwayne and Hobbs: Love At First Bite”- A spotlight on Dwayne’s dog Hobbs.

* An informative solo commentary by director David Leitch.

November 2, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Dwayne Johnson, Fast and Furious Franchise, Fast and Furious Spin-Off, Hobbs And Shaw Blu-ray Review, Idris Elba, Jason Statham, The Rock, Vanessa Kirby