'Stuber' Falls Short Of Earning A Five Star Rating
Starring Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Mira Sorvino, Natalie Morales, Karen Gillan
Rated R
Action, Comedy
Run time: 1 hr, 33 min
Directed by Michael Dowse
In theaters July 12, 2019
Buddy cop movies have been a part of cinema for decades now, and this one appeared in cinemas mere weeks before we’re going to see Hobbs & Shaw hit big screens. And frankly, I hope that one is a bit better than this one. There are some funny moments, some Tarantino-style shoot out scenes and some really obvious cliches. But the most you can say about this movie is, “It was fine.” The plot is easily figured out within the first 15 minutes of the movie (or just from watching the trailer, if I’m being honest).
Nanjiani plays Stu, a man working multiple jobs to make ends meet and to open a spin gym with his best friend (and the girl he’s semi-secretly in love with). One of which is driving for Uber, which he takes a lot of pride in, offering riders everything from snacks to control over the tunes. That whole idea goes awry when he’s hailed by a cop (played by Bautista, and who recently had lasik eye surgery and literally can’t see to drive) who not only needs one ride, but many, as well as a partner while chasing after a lead on a case that has been haunting him for years.
Everything about this movie plays out exactly how you’d expect in any standard action-comedy. Some of the jokes are unexpected and entertaining, but you could easily nap for 30 minutes in the middle, wake up and be caught up on the story immediately. Bautista’s character is surprisingly similar to his role in Guardians of the Galaxy, not understanding basic humor and social cues at times and being extremely blunt when interacting with everyone, especially Stu. Every main character fits some kind of stereotype and stays true to form from beginning to end.
Some of the writing isn’t half bad, but it just lacks individuality. I’m not sure I could recommend spending money at a theater to watch it, but it may help stave off the boredom if you find it in a Redbox or on tv one night. One thing I truly appreciate about this film is the length: by keeping it around an hour and a half, they pace the story well and don’t let it become bloated, as a lot of action films can be when they inch closer to (and beyond) the two hour mark. So for a few laughs and a few decently choreographed shoot out scenes, Stuber could be worth the time, but definitely not five stars.