“Stuber” is the action comedy film written by Tripper Clancy and directed by Michael Dowse. Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani are paired up as the leads. Mira Sorvino and Karen Gillan are also part of the cast with Natalie Morales, and Iko Uwairs rounding out as the lead villain.
Bautista plays the most intense cinematic cop ever after his partner is murdered by a super drug trafficker or something. He has a strained relationship with his artistic daughter, bad eyesight, which explains all the squinting, and a generally poor disposition. Bautista’s Vic Manning as a hot lead six months after his partner’s death and is recovering from Lasik surgery, hampering his ability to take his dastardly drug dealer into custody. He ends up with an insecure, over-sensitive Uber driver as his reluctant sidekick in this one. Nanjiani plays a part-time Uber driver who has been friend zoned by his supposedly true love. His name is Stu, which explains the unfortunate title. Anyway, it’s toxic masculinity versus the new sensitive man of today as the chase ensues through the Los Angeles highways and alleys.
There are a few laughs to be found in this one, but not enough to make this one more than mildly entertaining. Neither of the leads are particularly bad, but the writing could use some fine tuning. Some of the fight scenes were pretty good in spite of the suspension of disbelief required. The movie is pretty stupid overall but somehow has a few charming and amusing scenes that make it acceptable has a diverting matinee, but only barely so.
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