Stuber

Stuber

Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales

Directed by Michael Dowse

The Story:
Six months ago, LAPD detective Vic Manning (Dave Baustista) and his partner were hot on the heels of drug trafficker Oka Tedjo (Iko Uwais), but he ends up getting away.  Six months later, Vic is still on the hunt, but also suffers from eye problems, so he undergoes Lasik surgery - but it leaves him unable to really see, especially during his estranged daughter Nicole's (Natalie Morales) art exhibition.  She installs Uber on his phone, which he uses when he discovers a tip that Tedjo is planning a major deal, and hopes to bring him down for good.

The Uber he picks is Stu Prasad (Kumail Nanjiani), who is pretty much a loser on every level - he's constantly friend-zoned by the woman he loves, he has a dead end job, and no one gives him five stars for his driving, despite going above and beyond for his passengers.  He picks up Vic, who takes him through LA's seedy underbelly in hopes of finding Tedjo, and along the way both men learn from one another and become unlikely partners and friends.

The Synopsis:
If you're looking for a subgenre that's pretty much as stale as the dickens, look no further than the mismatch buddy cop comedy.  Don't get me wrong, there are some totally awesome ones ("Tango & Cash," "Turner & Hooch," "The Heat," "Rush Hour," "21 Jump Street," "Men in Black"), but for each great one, there's a dozen forgettable and boring ones that I can't even mention because I can't remember them.  "Stuber" will definitely fall to the latter, as I'm already having a difficult time writing a review because I can't remember much about it, except for how bored I was.

For this outing, the mismatched pair is a gruff, no-holds-barred detective who uses his muscles more than his brains, who has a strained relationship with his daughter because he always puts work before family, and only has tunnel vision to complete his task.  If this sounds familiar, then you've seen at least one other movie of this subgenre.  Thankfully, Dave Bautista manages to liven things up with his unique brand of offbeat humor, and actually is the saving grace of the film - even if the beginning he bumbles around like Mr. Magoo after he gets eye surgery.

The other player in this duo is Stu, a mild-mannered Uber driver/department store employee who pretty much is the epitome of loser - he's bossed around by a cocky kid, allows himself to be pushed over by his friend that he has feelings for, and begs and pleads for people to give him a five star rating, and of course that never happens.  Kumail Nanjiani is better than this, and he manages to really squeeze out the desperation dry - he recycles lines (many times he talks about wanting a five star rating - we got it the first time), talks way too much, makes the lamest jokes, and elevates problems that don't need elevated (when his friendzone friend finally messages him wanting to hook up, he doesn't tell her that he's Ubering a detective, but rather tells her he'll be there soon, and spends the majority of the film convincing her that he's almost there, and we don't care).

The best moments come when Bautista and Nanjiani banter, and their chemistry is actually quite charming - unfortunately it's muddled by a tired script, predictable outcomes, and over-the-top violence (which I normally like, but here it just felt needless).  When the two get together, it's pretty funny, especially their fight in the department store.  It's this chemistry that bumps up this one-star film to a two, but I can't muster anymore energy to level it up to a three.

The Summary:
Although the comedic chemistry between Dave Baustista and Kumil Nanjiani resonates, there's not enough banter between the two to give "Stuber" more than a two-star rating due to the film's tired premise, lackluster writing, and predictable outcome.

The Score: C-