I’ll start with full disclosure: I’m not a fan of the Fast & Furious franchise. I saw the first one (maybe 2?), and that was enough for me. So when the Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw trailer came out, I was surprised by how interesting it looked. It did not disappoint. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham have great chemistry, and their scenes together are gut-splittingly funny. They alternately punch, insult, and attempt to out-swagger each other at every turn, and it’s a joy to watch. Idris Elba’s Brixton is intense and powerful, and he’s obviously enjoying himself immensely chewing up the scenery at every turn with his “black Superman” villain. I was also mighty impressed by Vanessa Kirby as Statham’s sister. She had some exceptional fight scenes, and though she was a damsel-in-distress a couple times in the movie, she also had opportunities to rescue Hobbs and Shaw at various, significant moments. Her fight scene against Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs, however, was a brilliantly choreographed and delightfully amusing few minutes that I can’t wait to watch again on video. All of this beautiful fighting and moments of female-empowerment seems to be a theme for director David Leitch of John Wick, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde credits. It’s a tough film to rate on Bechdels, however. 1) There are several women in the film – but the majority of them seemed to disappear for significant portions of group fight scenes and car chases. 2) A couple women speak with each other, but only for the briefest of moments. 3) And those women do not discuss their romantic interest in the male protagonists, so…I’ll go with three Bechdels, though those three could certainly have been stronger.