Hobbs & Shaw: Final Trailer Brings The Explosive Action

Hobbs & Shaw are almost here, and they're not coming to play backgammon.

The final trailer for the Fast & Furious spin-off dropped today on the franchise's official YouTube channel, and it basically promises the maximum amount of over-the-top action, snarky one-liners, and general badassery that can possibly be stuffed into one movie.

The flick will see Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) putting aside the fact that they kind of hate each other to go toe-to-toe with genetically enhanced agent of chaos Brixton (Idris Elba) who intends to unleash biological warfare on an unsuspecting world. As far as that sounds from the narrative ground trod by your average Fast & Furious picture, the new spot also reminds us that it is indeed of that franchise by opening with an extended car chase through the streets of London.

And what a chase it is. As they're pursued in their (presumably souped-up) car by Brixton on a motorcycle, Hobbs, Shaw, and Shaw's MI6 agent sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby) find that the "black Superman" can decidedly take a licking and keep on ticking. In a bid to lose him, Shaw does what any slightly insane mercenary would do — drifts the car right underneath the trailer of a huge 18-wheeler. Unfortunately, Brixton pulls off the exact same maneuver — again, on a motorcycle — and keeps up the chase.

Finally, they're able to shake their adversary by forcing him to ramp his bike off of an approaching car and straight into — and through — a double-decker bus. Brixton, however, gets up and walks away from the smash-up, and he's none too happy. "You want a war?" he says. "Okay."

Brixton is seen marshaling his forces to take out the intrepid trio, while Hattie warns her brother and his frenemy that "if the three of us don't work together, billions of people will die." We then get a little montage of Hattie showing off just how formidable she is — kicking the crap out of some badguys, leaping onto a speeding car, just everyday stuff — while Hobbs is heard in voiceover expressing his admiration for her to Shaw. "Your sister," he says, "is one of the toughest, baddest, most capable women I've ever encountered." Shaw, of course, wants to hear none of it. "I see what you're doing," he says. "What, do you think I'm stupid?" Hobbs then delivers the obligatory response: "Of course I think you're stupid."

We then get a series of quick cuts teasing, well, just insane amounts of mind-blowing action: Brixton plummeting from an airplane with no chute and performing more nifty motorcycle tricks, Shaw firing his gun through the destroyed windshield of a vehicle he's manning which happens to be flipping over in mid-air — again, just the type of stuff most of us see every day on the way to work. 

The spot then moves to Hobbs' home island of Samoa, as he enlists his family's help in rounding up "cars and guns," and lots of them. Hobbs is seen leading a veritable army of angry Samoans into battle against Brixton, while his mother promises, "You're gonna get one Samoan ass-whooping!" The spot then closes with more lightning-fast cuts promising that this film will offer everything you expect and more: bone-crunching fist fights, fire, explosions, car crashes, and one certifiably crazy set piece involving a helicopter and a tow truck. 

Well, we must say, the previous trailers for Hobbs & Shaw had us firmly on board, but this last spot is simply beyond. When the second trailer dropped in April, Johnson took to Twitter to promise "the biggest and baddest showdown of the summer," and we're going to go ahead and say that the Rock wasn't just whistling Dixie.

The flick's behind-the-camera pedigree speaks for itself. Its screenplay was penned by Chris Morgan, who has written no fewer than five films in the Fast and Furious series — including its four highest-grossing entries. In the director's chair is David Leitch, who co-directed the first John Wick before going on to helm the bonkers 2017 actioner Atomic Blonde and a fun little lark called Deadpool 2. It's safe to say that this pair knows what fans want from the franchise, and if this trailer is any indication, Hobbs & Shaw will deliver, big time.

In addition to those mentioned, the cast also includes pro wrestling icon Roman Reigns (making his feature film debut), Baby Driver's Eiza González, Cliff Curtis of Fear the Walking Dead, and — appearing as the Shaw siblings' mother — Dame Helen Mirren. (Yes, really.) Take note: you'll want to make plans involving a theater seat, your butt, and an extra-large tub of popcorn for when Hobbs & Shaw hits screens on August 2.