‘Stuber’ – Review

Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani bring plenty of laughs to the big screen in a BIG way in Stuber, and it is a flat out piece of comedy genius.

When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (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.

Noted comedic director Michael Dowse takes audiences on one hell of a crazy ride share through the streets of Los Angeles with Stuber and the results are utterly hilarious. Dowse’s work on Stuber pays homage to buddy-cop action comedies of the 1980s such as 48 Hours and Lethal Weapon, and he takes that genre and really dials it up here. Dowse has a great understanding of how to use his cast, narrative and the genre itself to really get the most out of this crazy mismatched buddy-cop film, and the resulting experience is something that audiences won’t be able to contain their laughter with.

Taking the lead in Stuber is Dave Bautista as hardened detective Vic Manning and it’s a great reinvention for this rising action star! While he’s packed out with muscles and is known for kicking some serious ass, Bautista really gets to show off his comedic chops here and the result is something incredibly crazy. Part of the fun of Bautista’s role in Stuber is that he really invests in the comedy and is willing to go to plenty of zany places, allowing his tough guy persona to be a leading part in the laughs. Whether he’s flying through the air with a gun or falling into some new bumbling situation, Bautista definitely brings the comedy and audiences will just love his performance here.

Standing next to Bautista’s Vic, or more likely under him, is Kumail Nanjiani as Stu, a mild-mannered part-time Uber driver, whom Vic continually calls Steve, and he gets taken for one serious ride here. Nanjiani does a very convincing job at portraying the ultimate doormat here, and he gets one hell of a shock as Vic tries to man him up! The resulting trade-off between these two performers is just hilarious to watch, and it’s fun to watch Nanjiani get to be this accidental hero, and his resulting police activity is extremely funny to watch.

If you’re looking for comedy, well, you’ve absolutely come to the right place with Stuber! Seriously, the hilarity involved in this film will make your jaw ache because you’ll be laughing so much, and Dowse sets it up right from the start. Whether it’s the hilarious accidents that Vic gets into on account of losing his vision thanks to laser eye surgery, Stu’s desperation to achieve a five-star rating, the life advice that Stu receives from a male stripper or a crazed sporting goods store fight, Stuber absolutely delivers on the laughs! I seriously haven’t laughed this hard in a long, long time, and audiences will definitely be in hysterics here.

Also as Stuber is set firmly in the action/comedy buddy cop drama and bears a big influence of 1980s cinema you can be assured that there’s a considerable amount of boom here. From crazed gunfights to somewhat high-speed car chase scenes that involve Stu’s leased electric car, Stuber gives audiences plenty of entertainment to keep them amped and it sure is fun to watch. Dowse also knows how to handle the action properly and it’s fun to watch him use it to his advantage where it feeds into the comedy on display. Bautista is definitely quick on the trigger here and there’s plenty of visual spectacle to really give audiences a treat.

Stuber is just a great all-around fun watch and there’s so much comedy to keep audiences entertained that they’ll definitely want to get in on this ride.

Image: 20th Century Fox