HOLLYWOOD—Who would have guessed that out of all the characters from the “Fast & Furious” franchise that two add-on characters would get their on spin-off series before any of the original staples. Yes, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Jason Statham, virtual standouts from the franchise, have turned their iconic characters of Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Statham) into a comic duo. The first spin-off in the franchise has given us “Hobbs & Shaw” which finds two enemies, teaming up to take out a bigger threat.

So some of you might be asking what works so well for this action-flick. It’s the fact that Johnson and Statham have impeccable chemistry on the screen. They work so well together, and the comedic timing between jabs exchanged between Hobbs and Shaw just leaves you in stitches at times. Are some of the jokes cheesy? Yes, but they deliver the punch that works for the audience.

I mean if you want me to be honest, the movie really reminded me of “Lethal Weapon” and the cop partnership between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. I mean that flick churned out a total of four movies in the franchise, with some hoping for a fifth entry. Maybe 10 years ago, I would have argued that was possible, but Gibson and Glover have aged quite a bit since and I don’t see those two buddying up again. Back to “Hobbs & Shaw,” the movie finds our protagonists having to align in order to stop a virus that could exterminate the human race as we know it. Why is that a constant theme in most action-flicks I will never understand; it’s like global terrorism seems to be on the forefront of many people’s minds.

The movie has a strong supporting cast courtesy of Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba. Kirby stars as Hattie Shaw, Deckard’s sister and this girl is an absolute badass. The stunts, the action and the chemistry she has with Johnson and Statham is great. Elba is fantastic, and I mean fantastic as the villain Brixton Lore. Lore is that type of fun villain, who is menacing, but in some odd way you kind of root for him. Elba really sells the villainous role in this flick so well and I adored every moment of his performance as a formidable foe for Hobbs & Shaw.

Now many of you might be asking about rather the plot is far-fetched? Of course, this is an action-adventure America, things are going to happen, that should not be possible in real-life, but if you can suspend yourself from reality, it totally works. The action is nonstop from start to finish, the stunts are amazing, and there are explosions galore.

“Hobbs & Shaw” gives the audience exactly, and I mean exactly what you want in an action movie and does NOT cheat the audience in any fashion. The success of the flick at the box-office and the teases the flick give during its mid-credits scene is a clear sign that the writers know they’ve struck gold with this franchise. With that said, do not be surprised to see a sequel in the near future and it would be totally warranted.