Fast And Furious: Hobbs & Shaw - 7 Ups And 2 Downs

1. The Rock And Jason Statham

It's all well and good having two strong central performances, but the entire premise of this movie is built around the chemistry of Statham and Johnson. If that faltered, so would the film.

However from their very first interaction on screen (pictured above) the two coalesce perfectly. We'd seen glimpses of it in the Fast and the Furious franchise, but there it was always a pleasant diversion from whatever was going on around them. Here, it's the entire crux of the film, and not for a single second does it outstay its welcome.

The barbs are witty, the tension feels genuine, the oneupmanship is thrilling, and both are given enough of the spotlight to really allow their assorted acting chops to show through. Statham could easily have shirked next to Johnson's outrageous screen presence, Johnson could easily have looked out of his depth sparring with such an experienced actor, but they both bring the best out of each other.

To use analogy from The Rock's true home of pro-wrestling, they're both constantly putting each other over. Each time the camera is on one, they're actually using that moment to help enhance the standing of the other, regardless of whether they're physically or verbally tearing them down. Once the camera cuts back, you've been subliminally made to receive the other one in a bigger light. Green-light another film for them both immediately.