By Robert Yaniz Jr.

This Fast & Furious spinoff coasts on the charisma of its two stars.

THE HYPE

After The Fate of the Furious — the mediocre-at-best eighth (!) entry in the never-ending story that is the Fast & Furious franchise, the series had finally run out of gas, following the surprisingly strong run of 2011’s Fast Five and its two follow-ups. But, with the absence of the late Paul Walker, Vin Diesel’s Dom felt like a character without a direction. Amidst talks of an onset rivalry between Diesel and co-star Dwayne Johnson, it felt like a natural next step for the series to pivot over to late additions like Johnson and Jason Statham.

THE STORY

Furious 7 and Fate established the uneasy alliance between Johnson’s brawling federal agent Luke Hobbs and Statham’s roguish anti-hero (how’s that #JusticeForHan campaign going, folks?) Deckard Shaw. Hobbs & Shaw gets a lot of juice out of the fact that these two testosterone factories have completely different styles and takes the Fast & Furious series even further into the absurdity that has become the series’ hallmark for at least the last decade. Honestly, the plot is a mishmash of espionage cliches and dick jokes, as the two action stars tangle with Idris “Black Superman” Elba.

THE CAST

Hewing close to his treasured onscreen image, Johnson has an absolute blast hamming it up for the camera, taking down self-proclaimed “bad guys” and casually tossing burns to his co-star. Meanwhile, Statham taps into a bit of the comic timing he flaunted so brazenly in 2015’s Spy. Both actors are in top form during the action bits but shine even brighter during the comedic moments. Elba doesn’t get nearly enough time to indulge in the same skill set, mostly due to the film’s establishments of a mysterious (and unseen) Big Bad lurking behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Vanessa Kirby of Mission: Impossible — Fallout fame holds her own, hinting at the still-untapped potential she has to be a major star in her own right.

THE PRODUCTION

The Fast & Furious series has never been known for its gravitas, save for the exceptional ending to Furious 7. Yet, what really sets Hobbs & Shaw apart is that the film feels like a comedy first and foremost. Considering director David Leitch’s filmography (which includes John Wick, Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2), the action set pieces — while loaded with CGI — never feel as visceral as any moment in Leitch’s previous films. Instead, it feels just as bombastic and hollow as ever, a numbing symptom of a series that is starting to look its age. That being said, the jokes (including a pair of insanely on-the-nose big-name cameos) mostly serve the mindless manliness of the Schwarzenegger and Stallone films of the 1980s.

THE VERDICT

So is Hobbs & Shaw destined to be this generation’s Tango & Cash? Not exactly. But it does represent a decent enough effort by the Fast & Furious team to keep this money train running for a few more years, with or without Diesel and the original crew attached. Devoted fans of the genre, this series and/or Johnson and Statham will get a kick out of the film, despite its glaring storytelling flaws. With any luck, the announced female-focused spinoff will be able to similarly serve as a springboard for many of the series’ long-standing ladies to finally break free of its stagnant mothership.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba and is directed by David Leitch.