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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Friday’s openings: Getting even more ‘Furious”

Dan Webster

It's not as if we didn't give the "Fast and Furious" franchise a chance. We've seen (in some cases endured) eight films since 2001's "The Fast and the Furious" first hit the screen. And two more are on the production board.

So of course why not take two of the (at first) peripheral characters — both (at first) bad guys — and make a stand-alone film starring them? That's the thinking behind the coming week's single big-budget (estimated at $200 million) release:

"Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw": Dwayne Johnson (Hobbs) and Jason Statham (Shaw) are forced to join forces, which they do ever so reluctantly, to battle a cyber-enhanced super-villain played by Idris Elba. Bets are the two will be driving a fast car or two … and handling some guns.

And at the Magic Lantern?

"Wild Rose": Irish singer-actress Jessie Buckley plays a troubled Scottish woman named Rose-Lynn who dreams of becoming a country-and-western star. From Glasgow to Nashville … yeah, no difficulty making that transition.

As always, I'll update when the area theaters finalize their bookings.