Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 31, 2019

Many Fast & Furious fans might agree that Hobbs & Shaw isn't the first spinoff film; that honor instead belongs to 2006's Tokyo Drift, a film that was given tangential ties to the universe at the time of its release and a loose connecting thread in later films in the series. More connected is Hobbs & Shaw, which stars two franchise stalwarts, albeit stalwarts who have only appeared in the series' latter half of films. But no matter how one wishes to classify its place in the series, there's no mistaking its classification in the broader cinema universe: it's an adrenaline fueled, amped-up, special effects junkie's dream come true. Loose on plot but grand in scale and scope, the film is all but irrelevant as a Fast & Furious film but it's worth its weight in digital artistry as a popcorn muncher.

When a heavily armed MI6 team, led by Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), fails to take out a ruthless enemy in possession of the dangerous CT17 “Snowflake” virus, Hattie has no choice but to implant the virus in herself to keep it out of the wrong hands. But her foe, a man named Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) who makes use of radically advanced technology to give him superhuman strength, instant and detailed data analysis of any combat situation, and bullet immunity, frames her for murder and the virus' theft. Activated to track her down are DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Mercenary Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) on their most personally and professionally volatile and violent mission yet.

Hobbs & Shaw is a B-movie wrapped in A-level construction, a generic tale of heroes and villainy, big action, and huge stakes which, of course, all whittles down to massive set pieces with tons of explosions. The movie is absurdly large, with some of the most daring, dynamic, and delightful stunts seen in this franchise, or any other. But there’s no mystery, no doubt, no fear, no dramatic draw. The action is absurdly improbable, with each visual staged only to outdo the last, and the story is merely a facilitator to move on to the next spectacle. But because the movie doesn’t take itself at all seriously it more or less works.

The sheer volume of spectacular tech toys in the movie pushes it to the borders of a light Sci-Fi actioner, and with many of the action stunts reminiscent of something out of a video game the movie certainly drifts far away from the core of its namesake franchise, even as the franchise itself greatly expanded its scope in latter outings. But the movie takes a turn for the nifty in the third act. Without spoiling anything it’s a completely unexpected, but probably necessary, 180-turn with Hobbs & Shaw refusing to end as it began: at least for a time, that is, until the film starts to again look and feel like something out of a latter-day Fast & Furious film.

Speaking of tech, the film’s villain is sort of like Robert McCall meets Iron Man gone bad. He’s even called “a Terminator” at one point in the movie. Apt descriptors all. He’s a formidable foe whose mastery of self and tech heightens the stakes and lowers the heroes' odds of success, at least in theory, since the outcome really isn’t called into question at any point in the movie; everything points to a classic confrontation at film’s end with everything leading up to it nothing more than a heaping helping of modern digital sight and sound delight.

The contagiously comical and agreeably antagonistic chemistry between the leads does help offset spectacle fatigue. That Hobbs and Shaw really don’t like one another is never in question, but that they respect one another isn’t, either. In fact, they thrive on jabbing and jawing at one another and playing the one-upmanship game from the start, which is ultimately a strength for the movie rather than a weakness. Johnson and Statham turn in infectious performances by way of firm commitment to the roles, expanding on the characters and their camaraderie well beyond their previous appearances, allowed here to dive deep and come together as the ultimate on-screen frenemies.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hobbs & Shaw's 1080p transfer squeezes all it can from the format. The picture is sharp and refined, with no apparent shortcomings to note, not even any obvious source noise distractions or compression artifacts. The picture excels in close-up, where pores, hairs, sweat, vascular muscles, and tattoos are format showcases for clarity and definition. Brixton's suit shows its seams and materials with screen command in every close-up and medium distance character shot. Visual effects clarity is stellar, even in fast motion and in various real/digital hybrid shots, of which there are many. Colors are appropriately vibrant and well saturated. Contrast is dialed in just right to accentuate explosions and ground the less intense colors. Black levels are stable and skin tones are accurate. Blu-ray doesn't get a whole lot better.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hobbs & Shaw features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that's of a rock-'em sock-'em nature that never relents in its fury or intensity and is just about as bang-up awesome as one would expect from a Fast & Furious franchise film. It's not at all timid, instead happy to throw information all over the stage -- in front, behind, to the sides, and above the listener -- and perfectly support every one of the movie's increasingly complex action scene spectacles. Whether shootouts delivering pitch gunfire with authoritative depth and all-around engagement, jet fighters screaming through the stage, flamethrowers raging, or frenetic car chases, the track offers a sustained explosion of sound from very speaker, each one perfectly placed, capable of seamless directional movement or stationary excellence, and defined by a proper low end engagement. Nothing's amiss in action. Atmospherics are full and healthy in quieter scenes and dialogue is clear and well prioritized from a natural front-center home. Nothing's amiss here.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hobbs & Shaw contains an alternate open, deleted scenes, an audio commentary, and a large number of featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Alternate Opening (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 10:14): Complete with the Universal logo.
• Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 34:29 total runtime): Included are Brixton Opens Case and Grenade Explodes; Extended Hobbs and Sam in the Pancake House; Extended Pancake House with Locke; Extended Hobbs and Shaw Face Off; Extended Shaw Tracks Hattie; Hobbs Gets Handsy with Hattie; Extended Hobbs and Hattie Tango; Extended Car Chase Dialogue; Passport Check - Alternate; Extended Dinkley on the Plane; Maximum Weight These Parachutes Hold?; Dinkley in His Office - Alternate; Samoa Truck with Radio; Extended Hobbs and Hattie Talk Family; Jonah - Let Me Be Clear; My Land, My Plan; Extended Hobbs and Hattie Sunset; Extended Hobbs and Jonah Talk; Extended Hobbs and Hattie Talk; Extended Battle; Cliffside Walk; and Hobbs and Locke Phone Call.
• Johnson & Statham: Hobbs & Shaw (1080p, 3:38): A look at the characters Hobbs & Shaw: their contentious relationship and building a spinoff around them. It also explores the chemistry between the characters and the actors who portray them.
• Progress of a Fight Scene with Director David Leitch (1080p, 4:57): Leitch explores the foundational components: focus, physical training, and the integration of practical and digital effects. It also explores the final battle and the weapons utilized therein.
• Practical Action (1080p, 3:43): Johnson calls the action "the heart of the movie." Truer words have never been spoken. It also explores fight choreography, actor training, and how action drives character development.
• The Bad Guy (1080p, 2:00): An all-too-brief look at the film's villain: super strength, Elba's performance, and more.
• The Sister (1080p, 3:58): A closer, but hardly in-depth, look at the film's lead female character, Hattie Shaw.
• Hobbs' Family Tree (1080p, 3:20): The importance of family in the franchise and a closer look at a few of the key secondary characters in the movie.
• The Matriarch (1080p, 1:35): A very quick look at Queenie's cameo in the film.
• New Friends (1080p, 2:01): Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart appear in the film.
• Elevator Action (1080p, 1:59): Lightning coverage of the film's key action set piece.
• Stunt Show and Tell (1080p, 3:41): Director David Leitch looks more in-depth at a few of the film's top action sequences and the processes required to craft them.
• Keeping it in the Family: A Conversation with Roman and Dwayne (1080p, 5:02): The actors/wrestlers discuss their relationship and heritage.
• Blind Fury (1080p, 1:50): Dwayne's mom reacts to an homage to her father.
• Dwayne and Hobbs: Love at First Bite (1080p, 1:36): A short look at the film's featured canine character.
• Audio Commentary: Director David Leitch covers a broad spectrum of topics, including the film's music, cast and performances, technical construction details, visual effects, action, story, shooting locations, and much more. The track is fairly straightforward but packed with good information.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A prominent Hollywood Helmer recently called the Marvel movies "theme parks." He has since clarified his position a bit but he might be apt to bundle Hobbs & Shaw into that category as well. The movie is thin on story and fat on explosive special effects, and fans of such movies should find this one to meet all of their needs. Universal's Blu-ray is plenty capable of delivering it to format maximum, boasting first-rate picture and sound alongside a lengthy list of supplements. Recommended.