Movie Review

Hobbs & Shaw goes fast and furious with comedy in entertaining spinoff

There’s rarely any middle ground when it comes to the Fast & Furious franchise, which is what makes the spinoff Hobbs & Shaw such a surprise. The series is now nine movies deep, and most people have either surrendered themselves to the ludicrousness it contains or dismissed the movies as everything that’s wrong about Hollywood.

The film, which has the full ridiculous-on-purpose title of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, teams up Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who have been antagonists in previous films in the series.

This time, they’re tasked by their respective governments to track down Hattie (Vanessa Kirby), an MI6 operative infected with a secret serum that could destroy the world. Also on her tail is Brixton (Idris Elba), a super soldier backed by a shadowy organization that wants the serum for its own nefarious purposes.

Usually in this series, the story is merely a loose framework in which to include as much action as possible. However, director David Leitch and co-writers Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce offer up more than lip service to the plot this time. In fact, it could be argued that Hobbs & Shaw has more to offer in the script department than all of the previous films in the series combined.

The filmmakers lean heavily into the hostile relationship between Hobbs and Shaw, and it works like a charm. The insult-heavy banter between the two is normally something that wears thin after a while, but whether it’s the lines themselves or how Johnson and Statham deliver them, the jokes remain effective throughout the movie.

Aiding the success of the film is that prior knowledge of the series is helpful but not necessary. The background of Hobbs and Shaw is laid out well, as are the introduction or re-introduction of Hattie, Brixton, and Magdalene Shaw (Helen Mirren), Deckard’s mother who’s serving time behind bars.

It wouldn’t be a Fast & Furious movie without over-the-top action, but Leitch and company keep things relatively grounded for most of the film. The action is mostly hand-to-hand combat, with the outrageous car chase scenes the series is known for saved for just the right moments.

Finally, there are a couple of fantastic uncredited cameos that elevate an already highly entertaining movie. Both of those actors use their comedic personas to complement the talents of Johnson and Statham, and their scenes together are among the best in the movie.

With next year’s Fast & Furious 9 featuring the full cast yet again, it makes you appreciate the comparatively small scale of Hobbs & Shaw. It focuses on humor and one great central relationship, and winds up being one of the best films in the series because of it.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in Hobbs & Shaw.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in Hobbs & Shaw

Photo by Frank Masi/Universal Pictures

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in Hobbs & Shaw.

Movie Review

Sheriff Bob Odenkirk is back in over-the-top new action movie 'Normal'

Bob Odenkirk in Normal

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk in Normal.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wick movies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.

A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).

A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.

The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.

After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.

Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.

You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.

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Normal opens in theaters on April 17.

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