Hobbs & Shaw (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

We’ve been covering the Fast & Furious films on the site ever since part six with my reviews of the eighth HERE, seventh HERE and finally that sixth one of Aaron’s HERE.  Lucky for me the franchise shows no signs of slowing down with a ninth one on its way next year, but I digress.  Today it’s time to talk about a spin-off of The Fast and the Furious franchise.  That’s right!  You heard me correct.  Fans loved the chemistry between Jason Statham (as Deckard Shaw) and Dwayne Johnson (as Luke Hobbs) in the seventh and eighth installments so much that they are now getting their cake and eating it too.  Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the spin-off appropriately titled Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (we’ll roll with the latter half of that name throughout the rest of this review).  There’s no mistake about it.  When it comes to a title like that you know who the movie revolves around.  But wait!  There’s so much more to talk about.  Buckle up and follow me down below.  Vroom!  Vroom!

Film 

We already covered up above where these two beloved characters of the franchise are from so now I want to focus on the 411 of the production and the other big box office names you’ll find attached to this action vehicle.  First off, this film is directed by Deadpool 2’s David Leitch from a screenplay written by Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce (and it’s lot more fun than Deadpool 2).  Now here’s the part I’m most excited about…the rest of the cast.  Statham and Johnson are two huge personas to combat with, but Idris Elba sure gives them a run for their money here.  But that’s not all. Oh no!  We also have Vanessa Kirby from the last Mission: Impossible flick (she also has my vote as a future female 007 James Bond) and the household name of Helen Mirren to contend with.  If that wasn’t enough, one of my recent favorites is also starring in this feature.  That would be Baby Driver’s Eiza González.  Oh yeah Fear the Walking Dead‘s Cliff Curtis is also in this one too!

Timeline-wise Hobbs & Shaw picks up right where the eighth installment, The Fate of the Furious, left off.  If you remember the pair, two films ago Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw hated each other.  However, they were forced to set aside their differences and work together towards a common goal in the last outing.  I would say much of the same is still very true in this one.  Deep down they still dislike each other, but they are forced to work together again to stop a new enemy in town.  Who is that you ask?  Well it’s none other than a cyber-genetically enhanced international terrorist (I know that’s a mouthful) played by Idris Elba.  Side note…it does not appear like he’s going to be the next James Bond.  I’m just saying.  However, he definitely doesn’t lose any cool points here.  Elba is dressed to kill and looks like a million bucks.  It also doesn’t hurt that I love him very much as a villain here too.

So it gets worse for our motley pair of heroes.  This so called cyber-genetically enhanced international terrorist is threatening the human race with trying to obtain a deadly virus.  Even though he’s only one “enhanced” man the duo of Hobbs and Shaw is apparently not enough to stop the mad man and his entourage.  Therefore, they form their own team to save the human race and as you can clearly see in the trailer that also involves some travel to Hobbs’ homeland of Samoa.  I know what you’re thinking.  This doesn’t sound like a Fast & Furious film at all.  Rest assured you’re not the only one with that mindset.  However, it does have the ingredients of one wild, insane, over-the-top action film with a sci-fi Marvel-like twist.  In other words it sounds kind of intriguing compared to other Fast & Furious entires if I do say so myself, don’t you agree?  Of course you do!

Hobbs & Shaw delivers on all the action, thrills and insane moments the rest of the franchise films do, but it does so in very unusual ways.  For starters it had kind of a Mission:Impossible vibe to it complete with an MI6 storyline and all.  On top of all that it also had a super fun, sci-fi, supernatural twist to it all akin to Marvel’s Doctor Octopus wanting to take over the world kind of vibe.  Needless to say there’s a lot of futuristic kind of tech (guns, bikes and cybernetic parts) throughout this.  I’m also not a big motorcycle person, but even I can’t help feeling giddy about Idris’ ride in this.  Wow!  Of course there’s also all the humor and big, loud, destructive moments you’d expect based upon the previous entries.  However, there’s something even more over the top in this entry.  It’s all about the surprise cameos!  There’s a couple of big ones and they are quite impactful in both the laugh department as well as story (as long as you’re not annoyed by the lengths at times).  On the flip side Eiza’s character felt very much like Halle Berry’s did in John Wick 3, very underutilized.  Beggars can’t be choosers though!  Moving on…

With the good though usually involves some bad.  If not, I wouldn’t have anything else to write here and I really want 6 paragraphs in the film section.  It’s my job here to nitpick so let’s do that just a tad.  As much as I love the chemistry between Johnson and Statham it does overstay its welcome from time-to-time with familiar banter and some really bad dialogue.  However, I love them together so much I’m able to forgive some of these repeatable moments (and adding Vanessa Kirby to the team definitely entices things).  On top of that though if you roll your eyes at some of the over-the-top, unbelievable action sequences in the previous Fast & Furious films, then I’m sorry because things don’t get better for you here.  It’s quite ridiculous, but answer me this.  You wouldn’t be reading about this movie if that truly bothered you that much, right?  You want to be thrilled.  You want to be entertained.  You want larger than life action.  You want fun and insulting banter.  And you’re definitely in the right place here with Hobbs & Shaw.  Also, keep your 4K Disc playing through the entire credits.  Trust me!  Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Universal’s Hobbs & Shaw.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 2160p
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• HDR: HDR10+/HDR10
• Size: BD-100
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Clarity/Detail: The first thing you’ll notice here is how unbelievably clear this one is.  Let’s start out proper though so you know first hand.  This one is a 2K Digital Intermediate, but fret not.  Hobbs & Shaw‘s 4K upscale presentation is a real looker.  Let’s talk about the fine details in closeups first.  Sadly age spots on Jason’s hands are very apparent as are wrinkles, stubble, stray gray hairs, pores, freckles, scars and more.  However, it’s the textures that do me in here like the leather grain in Elba’s armored jacket or even the denim in the Rock’s jean jacket.
• Depth: Depth of field is apparent everywhere which way you look here.  Some remarkable moments include Vanessa Kirby running from the the cops, various wide establishing shots, city streets during the McLaren/motorcycle chase scene, the bad guy’s lair and so much more.  There’s a rich, three-dimensional look and feel to everything here.
• Black Levels: The black levels are are all dark and natural with extra inkiness during nighttime sequences.  Nothing really gets lost in the darkness of it all.  The HDR looks stunning.  Neons pop and contrast very nicely too with additional bold, bright explosions.
• Color Reproduction: The color grading does differ slightly between sequences, but for the most part it has a nice, healthy and natural look to everything.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones all look natural in appearance to the actors’ complexions throughout the presentation.
• Noise/Artifacts: Everything looks perfect here with no signs of visible noise or artifacts that would hinder your viewing enjoyment of this reference looking presentation.

Audio 

Like I mention up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Universal’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Hobbs & Shaw.

• Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Dynamics: This one is kind of a shocker.  For like the first time I can remember this Fast & Furious title comes armed with a Dolby Atmos surround track and not a DTS:X one.  I know!  Quite shocking it is!  I can’t help feel how much brighter this one would have sound with a DTS:X surround track, but I digress.  Things do sound great here.  You just have to turn it up little bit more.  For some reason most Atmos tracks always sound a tad restrained to me (and no I am not talking solely about Disney titles).  The dynamics DO shine here with some nifty action sequences, careful attention to priority and directionality and an LFE track that makes you feel the gravity of the onscreen mayhem and situations.  Despite all of this none of the dialogue gets lost in the shuffle.  The soundtrack is also very spatial and overpowering throughout.  It’s like its own character here in a good way.
• Height: There were some decent Atmos moments, but these were the ones I jotted down while watching: glass shattering, bombs/explosions, helicopters, rain falling, the disguised voice of Elba’s offscreen boss and more.  My favorite example though has to be the soundtrack moments like the song “Next Level” that highlights Kirby’s character here.
• Low Frequency Extension: The subwoofer keeps the sound booming throughout from the many crashes, explosions, action sequences, combat and so much more.  Whatever the need for heft arises onscreen the LFE perfectly matches those events with deep, tense satisfaction.  The soundtrack also gets a heavy hitting lift with things here too.
• Surround Sound Presentation: You can’t tell me you’re not immersed throughout here as the action happens all around you with the utmost of directionality and priority to mimic onscreen events and craziness.  From the score and soundtrack to the non-stop action and gunshots things have a way of sucking you into the middle here.
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialog levels are clear and intelligible throughout.  I have no qualms here.

Extras 

The Hobbs & Shaw 4K package herefeatures over 80 minutes of never-before-seen bonus content including an alternate opening, deleted and extended scenes and several featurettes with the filmmakers and cast that take fans further into the thrilling story.  Also included is the Movies Anywhere redemption code to watch the feature film here anywhere you should choose.  It’s worth noting that these extras, which are listed in detail below, are all available for viewing on the 4K Disc as well as the 1080p Blu-ray one too.

• ALTERNATE OPENING (SDR, 10:14)
• DELETED/EXTENDED/ALTERNATE SCENES (HD, 34:29) – There are a whopping 22 total sequences found here.
• JOHNSON & STATHAM: HOBBS & SHAW (HD, 3:38) –  Here’s a quick look as to why this film duo’s chemistry works so well together on and off the set.
• PROGRESS OF A FIGHT SCENE WITH DIRECTOR DAVID LEITCH (HD, 4:57) –  From script, to storyboard, to finally arriving on set and working with cast and crew, this piece will illustrate the progression of fight scenes from concept to execution. I love these kind of pieces that focus on the rigorous, physical training not mention what are digital effects versus practical and weapons used.
• PRACTICAL ACTION (HD, 3:43) –  Any film featuring Jason Statham or Dwayne Johnson is sure to be action packed and feature some over-the-top fight scenes. For the film, each fight sequence was carefully choreographed and shot ahead of time for the actors to use in training and ultimately in shooting the scene. In this extras you get to see some of these moments of exploration.
• THE BAD GUY (HD, 2:00) –  Fans can explore what makes the ultimate baddie, as well as Brixton’s backstory, casting Idris Elba, special effects for his cyber features and what makes him tick. I know many that hate the sci-fi nature of this film as it doesn’t clearly fit in this franchise, but call me the minority here. I love it and Elba delivers! This extra takes a quick look at him here as the super strength villain.
• THE SISTER (HD, 3:58) –  This one takes a closer look at and highlights Vanessa Kirby as the butt kicking Hattie Shaw.
• HOBBS’ FAMILY TREE (HD, 3:20) –  This character piece will highlight the extended family of Hobbs. From Hobbs’ daughter, mother and brothers, take a high-energy, behind-the-scenes look at their time on set.
• THE MATRIARCH (HD, 1:35) – This extra features Helen Mirren in her return to the role she brought to life in the 8th film.
• NEW FRIENDS (HD, 2:01) – I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen this film. So I’ll leave the two names out of here and just say that this one features hilarious moments with the cameos featured in the film and showcases some of the best moments from their days on set.
• ELEVATOR ACTION (HD, 1:59) –  Here’s a quick look at one of the fun and crazy stunts that involves a you guessed it…an elevator.
• STUNT SHOW AND TELL (HD, 3:41) –  Along with film clips and stunt vis, this firsthand look at some of the key sequences in the film by Director David Leitch will peel back the layers of the stunt process and some of the top action moments.
• KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY: A CONVERSATION WITH ROMAN AND DWAYNE (HD, 5:02) –  In this intimate conversation, Roman Reigns and Dwayne Johnson discuss their personal relationship, coming from a long lineage of wrestlers, and what it’s like to be working side by side on a project so close to Johnson’s heart. Pretty cool!
• BLIND FURY (HD, 1:50) –  Dwayne Johnson reveals the inspiration behind one of the film’s key scenes – his grandfather! We also get a reaction from Dwayne’s mother here.
• DWAYNE AND HOBBS: LOVE AT FIRST BITE (HD, 1:36) –  We know how important family is to Dwayne Johnson, and his French Bulldog Hobbs is no exception. In this fun piece, fans can learn more about Dwayne and man’s best friend. Now this one may be even heartwarming to me than the previous one because of the fur daddy I am.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR DAVID LEITCH – This one is a no-brainer for fans of the film due to all the extra information and tidbits you pick up on from casting and performances to music, effects, locations and more.

Summary 

There you go ladies and gentlemen.  You can say what you want about this one.  I personally continue to have a blast with this one with four viewings now under my belt.  Admittedly so after your third or fourth viewing Hobbs & Shaw does feel a little bit long winded, but there’s just so much good to love about it here.  You have the playful banter between Dwayne and Jason, the action thrills that newbie Vanessa Kirby brings to the screen and a great looking 4K A/V package to boot with some hearty extras too.  That all sounds like a win to me.  Also, for all the Fast & Furious completist fans out there you know you need this one in your home media collection.  Did I list enough compelling reasons?  Enjoy your free copy, Adam!

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.  The images used above within the review are not actual 4K screenshots.  They are for illustrative purposes only.  

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Hobbs & Shaw

Delivers Action, Thrills & Laughs on

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

November 5th

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