Stuber
A detective recruits his Uber driver into an unexpected night of adventure.
Cast
Kumail Nanjiani – Stu Prasad
Dave Bautista – Victor “Vic” Manning
Iko Uwais – Oka Tedjo
Natalie Morales – Nicole
Betty Gilpin – Becca
Jimmy Tatro – Richie
Mira Sorvino – Captain Angie McHenry
Car Crash?
My god, this movie is utterly hysterical. In the literal sense – not “ha ha” hysterical. Although certain scenes are very funny. But the hysteria comes in as the two lead characters become embroiled in some dangerous business the driver of the vehicle really wasn’t expecting. Where Stuber wins is its concept of unplanned events kicking off at every angle. Its story is bubbling with farce and makes the most out of each situation, Stu throwing in as many wide-eyed gobsmacked reactions as possible. Many movie plots follow the same pattern; beginning to end with the characters going from A to B. But you just can’t go wrong with a story where a character unwittingly takes on something which sends his / her daily routine on a path to utter pandamonium. And here it is.
The pairing of Bautista and Nanjiani makes a unique watch. They couldn’t be more different – in every sense – but it works superbly, and the banter flows thick and fast as Stu’s car screeches around corners in an angry way that reflects the state of its driver. The writers did good here by creating a tense vibe between them both and ensuring non-stop possibilities; the possibility of the duo saving the day, failing miserably, or even one of them making a swift exit..
Stuber is one of those productions that looks like a total flop on its poster. Bautista and Nanjiani stood looking at each other, one with his arms crossed hints that this story could be a total disaster – lacking massively in comedy factor and a decent script for one. It looks crap. But surprisingly it’s the opposite. I think the main elements to play carefully with in this genres are necessary dialogue and comedic timing. Far too many comedies chuck a lot of gags at the viewer in a short space of time resulting in an overload of intolerable shite (a-hem, anything with Seth Rogen or Adam Sandler). Stuber is quite different and its farcical situation comedy means you get more of genuine sense of frustration from the characters. I’m glad I was proven wrong with this, it goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover. Sometimes. I mean, I’ve noticed a striking cover on some publications but ditched them a few pages in when I realised they were utter bollocks. But you get my point.
The downside to Stuber is its loose character development. A number of random people pop up at various stages of the story, but they have very little impact and don’t have time to make their mark. They’re in – they’re out. Especially Stu’s work colleague, he could have added a lot to this. Barely appeared.
Another downside is that there’s something not quite right with this movie. Viewers who dislike it will know what I mean. I found it entertaining but there’s something about Stuber that is just awful, and I think this is due to its very dry humour. Certain scenes I howled with laughter at – but I know for a fact some people will roll their eyes at. This isn’t for everyone.
Stuber is not worth paying money for, but is worth a quick look if you find it on television or something. It’s so ridiculous it’s entertaining.
Ricky's Film Reviews 