By Shane Conto
Growing up as an avid wrestling fan and movie fan, little did I know that these two seemingly separate worlds would collide someday. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the world’s biggest movie stars. John Cena has found his niche in comedy and big franchises like Transformers. And then there is the curious case of Dave Bautista. Most audiences would not be surprised to see a pro wrestler become an action movie star. But what if one became a working character actor who does films with Denis Villeneuve? Well that occurrence has become reality. I respect the hopes of Bautista to become a well-respected character actor. So that is why I was surprised to see him do Stuber.
Based on the trailer, this film looked like a high concept yet generic looking action comedy. I was excited about the potential chemistry and humor of Kumail Nanjiani and Bautista on screen with each other but what was this film about? What kind of tone would the film have? Based on the marketing, this seemed like an over-the-top and cheesy film. But in actuality, Michael Dowse creates a project with potential but turns out to be hit-or-miss. I was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment that I did get out of this film.
To start with the positive side of the coin, the biggest highlights of the film are obviously our two committed leads. Bautista is funny and intense while bringing an unexpected heft to the emotional side of things. His character is more interesting than the trailer leads onto. He deals with his insecurities with his eyesight (which is a handicap in his line of work). He is driven by the duty he has for his fallen partner while trying to balance his work life and daughter. Are these the most original character details and motivations? No but they work for the most part especially due to the committed performance. Then there is the Uber driving Stu played by Kumail Nanjiani. He is absolutely hilarious in this film as he expertly creates any situation into great gags and jokes. Are his motivations to get his best female friend to love him back also cliched? Yes indeed but again our star makes it work. The action in the film is bloody and violent but overall engaging and intense (minus some quick edits and shaky cam). As the film went on, I began to have increased fun. Overall, this film lives by its leads.
Now to our negatives. The most glaring issue that I experienced was the uneven and bipolar tone of the film. Dowse struggles to balance the surprising serious and intense aspects of the film (including an impressive opening sequence) with the over-the-top campy nature of most of the film. As I mentioned before, the story and most of its subplots feel cliched. To be honest, there was nothing truly surprising that occurred in the film. At least it was decently fun along the way. Despite the top notch leads of the film, almost every other character in the film was one dimensional. Whether it was Natalie Morales’s Nicole, the estranged daughter of Bautista’s Vic, Betty Gilpin (who is extremely talented as GLOW has proven), the unrequited love of Nanjiani’s Stu, and Iko Uwais (of The Raid fame) as our main antagonist. This great cast of supporting actors just feel wasted in the end. Jimmy Trato’s Richie felt more closely to a bad character compared to his fellow supporting cast members who were under-utilized.
I guess when it comes to the long and short of it, do you need more than just a couple of fun leads with a lot of humor? That is the primary question film fans need to ask themselves when gauging if they should check this one out. If that is enough, go check it out! If you want a nuanced story, a more even tone, and a better ensemble of characters, you might want to pass on this ride along.
Grade: C+