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<i>Stuber</i> – Spoiler Free Review.

Genre: Action Comedy

Director: Michael Dowse

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, with Mira Sorvino, Steve Howey, and Karen Gillan

Studio: 20th Century Fox and distributed by Disney

Rating: R

Runtime: 105 minutes

Release date: July 12, 2019

Rating: ★★★★★

One of the enjoyable aspects of seeing a film at a festival like South by Southwest (SXSW) is the opportunity to watch it prior to the studio hype machine kicking in and, in many cases, before a trailer is released. With Stuber, the only thing the audience had to go by was the following synopsis.

“When a mild-mannered Uber driver Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger Vic (Dave Bautista) who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he’s thrust into a harrowing ordeal where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life, and his five-star rating.”

Given the description, my expectations for Stuber were extremely low. After all, the premise of an officer, unable to drive, and having to commandeer a vehicle has seen its fair share of incarnations. A few examples: Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah in the 2004 film Taxi and Chyler Leigh and Jacky Ido paired for the 2014 series Taxi Brooklyn. The fact that it’s 2019, it’s no surprise a cab is now being replaced by Uber. My question was – could director Michael Dowse give audiences a film that feels fresh and new, or would it be a regurgitation of the others?

Kumail Nanjiani as Stu, Dave Bautista as Vic,

Dowse and screenwriter Tripper Clancy do a wonderful job taking the time to introduce Stu and Vic separately so that by the time their worlds collide, their characters unique personalities are well established. Bautista’s muscles seem perfectly cast for the action, but I wondered if the chemistry between the seemingly unlikely duo of Nanjiani and Bautista would work comedically? The answer is an resounding yes.

Watching what the studio described as a work in progress screening, I realized, despite having hilarious dialogue as Drax in the various Marvel films, I hadn’t considered how funny Bautista actually is. In Stuber, Bautista is given a chance to shine (without prosthetics and makeup). There’s a moment early in the film where Vic flinches to avoid a small object hanging in his path. The movement is subtle yet so comedically perfect, you truly begin to appreciate Bautista‘s talents as an actor as much as his physical prowess.

The casting of Bautista and Nanjiani is the best part of Stuber. It would have been easy for Dowse to divide the humor with Bautista tackling the more physical slapstick humor and Nanjiani delivering quippy one-liners. Instead, both actors are given the chance to display a wide range of humor and physicality. With Disney’s acquisition of Fox, I wondered if Stuber would keep its R-rating given how many comedies get edited down in order to attract a wider audience. Thankfully, the film kept their R-rating  making this Disney’s first R film since The Fifth Estate in 2013.

As funny as the two leads are, it’s Steve Howey of Shameless fame who has perhaps the most memorable scene in the film. While the Red Band trailer gives us a glimpse of Howey’s unnamed character, it doesn’t fully prepare you for the outrageousness that ensues. The blooper reel for this scene alone will be worth the price of the DVD.

If any film is destined to become a drinking game, it would be Stuber. The person must drink a shot anytime “Uber” is mentioned. Despite the countless mentions, the movie never feels like it’s gratuitously promoting the rideshare company. Instead, Uber is used as a character to drive the story forward.

With much of the focus on Stu and Vic, the film’s villain, Teijo (Iko Uwais), takes a back seat through much of the story which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As much as I’d like to see Teijo developed more, it would have taken screen time from the protagonists. Essentially, getting to the villain is treated as a journey to a destination rather than an escalating conflict.

Stuber is a highly entertaining action comedy that’s worth checking out. The brutal, no holds barred opening quickly sets the tone and never lets up. The fights are a throwback to classic 80’s actions films where the brawls feel raw and less choreographed. The chemistry between the two leads is infectious, and I desperately hope the DVD comes with behind the scenes or b-roll footage because I could watch the two interact for hours.

Stuber arrives in theaters July 12, 2019.

Check out my interview with Tripper Clancy and Dave Bautista here.

 

STUBER Social Media

Visit the Stuber WEBSITE: http://StuberMovie.com

Like Stuber on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/STUBERmovie/

Follow Stuber on TWITTER: @StuberMovie

Follow Stuber on INSTAGRAM: @StuberMovie

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Source: ©2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.