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Stuber

Tyler Harlow

Starring: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Natalie Morales, Iko Uwais, Betty Gilpin, Karen Gillan

Director: Michael Dowse

Six months after his partner, Morris (Karen Gillan), is killed in pursuit of drug pusher Tedjo (Iko Uwais), Detective Vic Manning (Dave Bautista) gets a promising lead of an upcoming drug deal that could lead to him getting revenge. The problem for Manning is that he just had LASIK surgery and is unable to see, let alone drive. Enter Stu (Kumail Nanjiani), a down on his luck UBER driver who desperately needs 5 star ratings, otherwise he will lose money and be unable to help his platonic friend and secret love, Becca (Betty Gilpin), open a gym. His car is commandeered by the hulking Manning, leading the two on an action packed romp across a sweaty LA, searching for details of the drug deal.


Disposable fun is how I would describe this better than expected action comedy. Is it going to change your life? Not at all. Is it entertaining? Absolutely, but a lot of the jokes aren't the type that are going to stick with you long after the credits roll. It's better than I expected it to be, but it had a pretty low bar to clear.


The banter between Nanjiani and Bautista is fantastic and their relationship keeps this breezy 90 minute film rolling from start to finish. Bautista gets to prove how adept he is at physical comedy, with many laughs coming from his Mr. Magoo antics of not being able to see well. It works better than you would expect and that's a credit to Bautista.


I wasn't a fan of the Becca subplot. Whenever it enters the story, it grinds things to a halt and doesn't really add much other than to give Stu a reason to try to ditch Vic. I ultimately get the reason why it's there, it's a part of Stu's eventual character arc, but it didn't work for me. I feel bad for Betty Gilpin, who is quite good on G.L.O.W. yet hasn't quite found a project that suits her talents.


I also feel bad for Iko Uwais. If you have seen The Raid films, you know the man is a stunning martial artist. His skills could really lift a film like this from its mediocrity, but he is barely in the movie. While he gets to be in the two action scenes that bookend the film, they are shot in such a choppy and over edited way that you can't help but feel disappointed. The same thing happened in Mile 22, and it's unfortunate that he can't get a better chance to show off his talents.


In the end, this is a breezy, better than expected yet forgettable action comedy that should entertain on a lazy weekday.


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