SuppliedStuber (R16, 93mins) Directed by Michael Dowse ★★ This must have seemed like a brilliant idea. Bring together two stars from a couple of massive comedy hits from the last few years for a buddy action-comedy that pays tribute to the genre's past, but is also as zeitgeisty as hell. Unfortunately, this teaming of Guardians of the Galaxy's Dave Bautista and The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani is one of the worst movies of the year so far. Stuber does neither its pair of leads or its twin product placements of a particular ride-sharing app and an electric car any favours. On the rare occasions Tripper Clancy's (Four Against the Bank) script isn't reliant on crude sex jokes, it's "humour" comes from Bautista playing a younger, bulkier version of Mr Magoo. Yep, not only does this myopic tale lack any clear vision, it's also tone deaf. READ MORE: * You Don't Nomi: NZIFF doco looks at Hollywood's worst movie of the '90s * The movies you need to see in July * NZIFF: Ten must-see movies at this year's film festival Bautista is Vic Manning, an LAPD detective still sideswiped by the murder of his partner (fellow Guardian Karen Gillan in a disappointingly small role) six months ago. Determined to track down her killer, an elusive drug trafficker, Vic is outraged when his boss (an unconvincing Mira Sorvino) suggests the case is about to be taken over by the Feds. Despite having had Lasik surgery that morning, Vic makes a last-ditch attempt to get his man, but, given his inability to see, let alone drive, he's going to need the assistance of a driver. Enter sporting goods storeworker-cum-uber-driver Stu Prasad (Nanjiani). That's right, this is Tom Cruise's Collateral played for laughs – or 2004's Taxi for the Uber generation. However, with its vertiginous camerawork and old-school soundtrack (featuring the likes of 10cc, Styx and The Hollies), it's clear director Michael Dowse (It's All Gone Pete Tong) wants this to be the next Baby Driver. Sadly, unlike Edgar Wright's heist movie, this offers few traces of wit and inspiration. There is a nice subversion of the staple visit-to-a-strip-club scene and a clever torture by Twitter set-piece, but these are quickly snuffed out by painfully predictable plotting, a showcase of what can only be described as toxic masculinity and odd 1980s movie references (made weirder by the soundtrack's focus on the decade before). Contemporary conceit aside, Stuber feels very much like a rip-off of the cop comedies of that era. Think Midnight Run, Police Academy, Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours, Red Heat or K-9. Only with lazy writing, typecast leads and a sensibility that feels out of step with its audience. Barely earning a two-star rating, you should definitely swipe left on Stuber.
Stuber: A myopic action-comedy that's also tone deaf
SuppliedStuber (R16, 93mins) Directed by Michael Dowse ★★ This must have seemed like a brilliant idea. Bring together two stars from a couple of massive comedy hits from the last few years for a buddy action-comedy that pays tribute to the genre's past, but is also as zeitgeisty as hell. Unfortunately, this teaming of Guardians of the Galaxy's Dave Bautista and The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani is one of the worst movies of the year so far. Stuber does neither its pair of leads or its twin product placements of a particular ride-sharing app and an electric car any favours. On the rare occasions Tripper Clancy's (Four Against the Bank) script isn't reliant on crude sex jokes, it's "humour" comes from Bautista playing a younger, bulkier version of Mr Magoo. Yep, not only does this myopic tale lack any clear vision, it's also tone deaf. READ MORE: * You Don't Nomi: NZIFF doco looks at Hollywood's worst movie of the '90s * The movies you need to see in July * NZIFF: Ten must-see movies at this year's film festival Bautista is Vic Manning, an LAPD detective still sideswiped by the murder of his partner (fellow Guardian Karen Gillan in a disappointingly small role) six months ago. Determined to track down her killer, an elusive drug trafficker, Vic is outraged when his boss (an unconvincing Mira Sorvino) suggests the case is about to be taken over by the Feds. Despite having had Lasik surgery that morning, Vic makes a last-ditch attempt to get his man, but, given his inability to see, let alone drive, he's going to need the assistance of a driver. Enter sporting goods storeworker-cum-uber-driver Stu Prasad (Nanjiani). That's right, this is Tom Cruise's Collateral played for laughs – or 2004's Taxi for the Uber generation. However, with its vertiginous camerawork and old-school soundtrack (featuring the likes of 10cc, Styx and The Hollies), it's clear director Michael Dowse (It's All Gone Pete Tong) wants this to be the next Baby Driver. Sadly, unlike Edgar Wright's heist movie, this offers few traces of wit and inspiration. There is a nice subversion of the staple visit-to-a-strip-club scene and a clever torture by Twitter set-piece, but these are quickly snuffed out by painfully predictable plotting, a showcase of what can only be described as toxic masculinity and odd 1980s movie references (made weirder by the soundtrack's focus on the decade before). Contemporary conceit aside, Stuber feels very much like a rip-off of the cop comedies of that era. Think Midnight Run, Police Academy, Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours, Red Heat or K-9. Only with lazy writing, typecast leads and a sensibility that feels out of step with its audience. Barely earning a two-star rating, you should definitely swipe left on Stuber.
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