Hobbs and Shaw is a spinoff that is set in the Fast and Furious universe, where cars, guns, and muscle do much of the talking. The film takes a completely new plot but uses the presence of existing characters to portray the story of how they save the world from the brink of an apocalypse.
Hobbs and Shaw deals with the story of two former secret agents Luke Hobbs (played by Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham) as they reluctantly agree upon a mission to save the world from an ex-spy turned mutant terrorist Brixton Lore (played by Idris Elba), who believes that the world can be saved through an act of genocide, and the key to it is the reprogrammable virus, which is injected into the body of Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), an MI6 agent who is now framed for conspiracy.
The film has a lot of throwback moments to the Fast and Furious installments, where Hobbs and Shaw quarrel with each other. The incompatibility between them gives rise to a lot of humourous moments. One such example is the scene where the two clash with each other for the first time in the film. But one of the major drawbacks is that the film doesn't provide the much-needed suspension of disbelief at the initial moments. When Hobbs and a fellow CIA operative discuss a dangerous mission at a crowded diner, and that too in the presence of Hobbs' daughter, you tend to question the seriousness of this operation.
The film doesn't bombard you with an avalanche of action set pieces, as it unfolds in a less hurried manner. The film, however, does not care to portray the villain as the real threat to the world. The film throws lesser light on the antagonist's motive to blow up the world, hence the villain's characterization feels generic and underutilized to a larger extent. What made the 'Fast and Furious' franchise stand out from the rest is the familial bonding of the characters. Even here, we get to see such moments (there is a good twist that is packaged in such moments), but they are not used to its fuller potential.
The film really shines at the final moments where Hattie gets kidnapped by the antagonists. We get to see Hobbs and Shaw fighting against odds to enter into Brixton's empire. The action-comedy that comes along with it is an icing on the cake. The film's climax becomes more interesting with the presence of some swanky cars in the set pieces. The predictability takes a backseat when the film keeps us invested in the action, where brotherhood and brute force trumps the firepower of hi-tech weapons.
The leads shine really well during the action sequences, while Vanessa Kirby puts up a smashing performance as Hattie, the shrewd secret agent. Hobbs and Shaw have some derivative moments of filmmaking (Brixton listens to the shapeless digital voice for guidance, which acts as a throwback to 2001: A Space Odyssey). There are some surprising cameos from Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart, but the latter's presence feels random and out of place. Overall, Hobbs and Shaw is a predictable yet decent action-adventure that has its moments.