4k-UHD/Movie Review: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

 

Hobbs and Shaw is an action/adventure film from 2019 starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, and Elza Gonzalez. It also features appearances by Roman Reigns, Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, and Kevin Hart. It is an ancillary story that may or may not be tied in with the larger Fast & Furious franchise. The basic story is that Hobbs and Shaw are recruited by the CIA to team up to recover a virus that an organization with a mysterious "Director" who has some kind of past with Shaw is trying to unleash. It also brings Shaw's sister (played by Vanessa Kirby) into the mix, and she does a great job playing off the chemistry between Statham and Johnson. The main point of the movie is the three of them have to team up, all while Hobbs and Shaw try to one-up each other (as seen in the trailer) and stop Idris Elba's character, who is basically an enforcer for "The Director."

The tone and feel of the movie are a bit like the Fast & Furious movies, with over-the-top stunts, fights, and chase sequences. The acting is better than what has been in the other movies, but it is never going to win an Oscar. The cinematography is wonderful, especially at the end when they are in Samoa. And, there are a couple of hilarious cameos by Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart.

The 4K set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The movie looks and sounds great in the UHD format. There is well over an hour's worth of bonus material, including an alternate opening and deleted scenes. And, the bonus material is included on the UHD disc, not just on the regular blu ray that is also included in the set.

Overall, this is a movie that you know what you will get. It is action-heavy, with a blend of humor and a bit of drama. It, like the other F&F movies, is a bit tongue-in-cheek and does not take itself too seriously, aside from the family vibe that the other movies have. If you like the other movies, while I cannot guarantee you will like this one given that none of the other characters show up or are even hinted at in this one, chances are good you will find this one enjoyable even if you do not love it. It is definitely worth a couple hours if you are in the mood for an action movie.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Fate of the Furious (F8)

 

The Fate of the Furious is the 8th movie in the "Fast" franchise. The plots of the movies have become crazier and more unrealistic over the course of time, and yes, this movie follows that trend (in this movie a missile is punched by The Rock) and you just have to go with it. If you cannot suspend your disbelief, these movies are not for you as the action sequences, which are fun, could never be pulled off in real life.

This movie sees Dom (Vin Diesel) as the bad guy, seemingly turning his back on the team/family. Of course, not everything is as it seems, as there is a larger plot that plays out throughout the course of the movie. The action sequences are crazy and there is some humor mixed in (including Hobbs and Shaw having to protect a baby while kicking ass). This is the movie that really set the stage for the Hobbs and Shaw spinoff as there are several entertaining sequences that include Jason Statham and The Rock. For the most part, the rest of the main cast returns, including Ludacris, Tyrese, Michelle Rodriguez, and Nathalie Emmanuel. Jordana Brewster does not return as her character, Mia, was written out to be off with Brian who retired after Paul Walker passed away. Kurt Russell reprises his role as Mr. Nobody, and the new cast members include Scott Eastwood and Charlize Theron. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set with just the movie itself on the UHD disc and the movie and all the extras on a regular blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good. Probably a tick under "reference quality" video, but for anyone other than a total A/V wonk, it will be fine. The extras include an 8-minute featurette on shooting in Cuba, a four-part featurette about the main characters, a three-part featurette on the car racing culture, a three-part featurette on the stunts, and extended fight scenes. There is a director's commentary on the movie that is included both on the UHD disc and the regular blu-ray. All totaled, the bonus content runs about an hour, give or take. 

Ultimately, if you like the prior movies, you will probably like this one. If you do not like the prior movies, especially the movies after Tokyo Drift, then you will not like this one. It is totally unrealistic and over-the-top, but that is cooked into the series at this point. Charlize Theron is awesome in her role and definitely seemed to be having fun in this role. This was the movie in which the battle between The Rock and Vin Diesel came to a head, with The Rock refusing to do any more of the "main franchise" movies.  If you don't take it too seriously it is a good, fun, action movie.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Furious 7

 

Furious 7 is the 2015 entry in the Fast and Furious franchise. It was directed by James Wan and stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, and The Rock. Ronda Rousey has an extended cameo appearance in the movie, and Paul Walker's brother, Brian, played a stand-in to finish Paul Walker's scenes after his tragic death partway through the filming of the movie. This movie is definitely a turning point for the Fast & Furious franchise, in large part because of Paul Walker's death. The movie, finally, deals with Han's death in Tokyo Drift, which on film occurred years earlier, but Sung Kang kept appearing in the subsequent movies always hinting that he would get to Tokyo. In this movie, it is revealed that Han was killed by the brother of Own Shaw (Luke Evans), Deckard, played by Jason Statham. The movie is essentially about the team trying to track down Deckard and get revenge for Han. The movie has the typical over-the-top action that has become the staple of the film series, especially after all the main actors returned to the franchise after Tokyo Drift. There are a lot of tongue-in-cheek absurd moments like The Rock flexing out of a cast and leaving the hospital to get back into the fight after he is sidelined most of the movie. The movie also introduced the character Mr. Nobody, a covert ops leader played by Kurt Russell, and the cameo appearance by Rhonda Rousey, who is basically in the movie to have a throwdown with Michelle Rodriquez.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the movie looks and sounds great in HD. Of course, there are a ton of special effects used throughout the movie, and everything looks wonderful and seamless. There are two versions of the movie, the theatrical and an extended edition that adds about a minute to the theatrical version. It is so inconsequential that it was really not worth making an extended edition. Then, there are about six minutes of deleted scenes, seven making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that range in length from about six minutes to just over thirty minutes. Then there is a feature on the Race Wars festival, the music video "See You Again" from Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, and a feature on the Fast & Furious-themed ride at Universal.

Overall, the movie is good but much more emotional than it was intended to be. It is the last entry in the franchise before it got completely ridiculous (although there are plenty of ridiculous moments in this one, too). I am sure most people know how the movie handled Paul Walker's death in terms of Brian's storyline. I will not spoil it for the handful of people who don't know, but I think it was very well done. The movie is 95% action, 5.9% tongue-in-cheek comedy, and .1% drama. The franchise has found the formula that works for it and stays in that lane. It does not try to be a best-picture candidate, so if that is what you are looking for, this is not it. But if you want to watch a fun action movie with a bunch of car chases and cool stunts, this is a good one.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Fast & Furious 6

 

The "Fast" movies are definitely in the category of you know what you get. They are faced-paced action movies, with totally unrealistic plots and over-the-top stunts that are set (mostly) around crazy car chases. If you are expecting great writing or acting you are out of luck, although Ludacris and Tyreese do form a pretty good comedy pair. It has torched the idea of needing to suspend your disbelief and into the territory of just going with it and not thinking too hard about it.

The movie is set sometime after the events of the fifth movie with the team having received amnesty for their various crimes by helping out Hobbs (The Rock) in Rio. When Hobbs and his partner Riley Hicks (played by Gina Carano) investigate the destruction of a Russian military convoy by a crew led by former British SAS Major and special ops soldier Owen Shaw (played by Luke Evans), Hobbs recruits Dom to track them down using evidence that Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is alive. What follows is lots of explosions, fighting, car chases, and what you would expect. Of course, there are plot twists, and the movie continues to be set before the events of Tokyo Drift so that Han can keep being included (with jokes about getting to Tokyo at some point).

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in HD. The movie uses a blend of CGI and practical effects and they basically look seamless. The extras include c commentary track on the movie with director Justin Lin, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes. They all total to just under two hours' worth of extras. You also get the extended edition and theatrical version of the movie. Nothing is really changed in the extended edition, and the additions are "blink and you will miss them" quick. So, very minimal.

Overall, the movie is a fun action film that is meant to be a turn off your brain and enjoy it kind of thing. The movies in the franchise have become a tongue-in-cheek action-fest and really do not try to be anything more than that. Obviously, some people love the movies others hate them, and this is probably not going to change your mind about them regardless of which category you fall into.

4KUHD Blu-Ray review: F9

 

F9 is the latest installment in the Fast and Furious movie saga. As anyone who has followed the progression of the movies knows, it has deviated a lot from the first handful of movies and has become just kind of a tongue-in-cheek action franchise with over-the-top stunts, plots that get more and more stupid over time, and the theme of family. If you watch the Honest Trailer for the movie, it pretty much knocks it out of the park in terms of a review. Basically, the movies are now almost breaking the fourth wall telling the audience, yes we know this is crazy and makes no sense (mainly through Ludacris' and Tyreese's dialogue), but just go with it. 

This version centers around Dom's long-lost and never mentioned brother Jacob, played by the combination of John Cena and Finn Cole (from the great show Animal Kingdom playing young Jacob). The film does (via flashbacks) explain why he was never mentioned, so there is at least that. Of course, he ended up becoming a super spy, working with Mr. Nobody before going rogue and then ends up going against Dom and the crew. Mostly all of the main cast returns (aside from The Rock, who had a very public falling out with Vin Diesel)  as well as some of the old cast. Jordanna Brewster reprises her role as Mia, and as the movie trailer and the box cover to the Blu-Ray spoils, they came up with a way to resurrect Han, with Sung Kang returning to the franchise. Helen Miren has a small role and Jason Statham has a very brief cameo appearance. The film continues to keep Brian alive offscreen and finds ways to keep from having to show him, as the role will never be recast after Paul Walker's death. 

For those who get the UHD set, there are two discs, one UHD and one "regular" Blu-Ray disc. The content on each is identical (including the bonus features). There are two versions of the movie, the theatrical version, and the director's cut, which has a few additional minutes of footage at the beginning of the movie. There is about an hour's worth of bonus features including several behind-the-scenes and making-of features that run anywhere from about three minutes to thirteen minutes, and a short gag reel. So, there is a lot of material for those who like the bonus features.

Overall, the movie is what it is. It makes little to no sense plot-wise and no human could survive the action sequences if they were real. But, as long as you are one that can suspend your disbelief and just enjoy a movie with lots of explosions, car chases, and fights, you can enjoy this. The acting is so-so. You can tell the actors have fun with it and do take the work seriously, even if they know the absurdity of the plot and the stunts. At this point, there have been enough movies that you know what they are and what they are not. So, if you have been a fan, you will probably like this one. If not, there is nothing about this one that is likely to change your mind.