Stuber Follows the Right Directions for a Decent Buddy Comedy

To call Stuber formulaic would be pointless. One glance at the trailers, which show Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista bickering in a car between shootouts and chases, probably tells you everything you need to know, not so much about the story but about the beats: two mismatched guys will find themselves at odds and coming together amid an action-heavy tale. No surprises there, but what counts most about making a film like this work is the chemistry between the two leads slung into a zippy picture of comedy and crime fighting. For the most part, the chemistry in Stuber works just hard enough for a few smirks and a handful of laugh-out-loud moments.

Dave Bautista as Vic and Kumail Nanjiani as Stu in Stuber. © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved

Nanjiani plays the hapless Stu, struggling to make ends meet while working as a sporting-goods clerk and an Uber driver. He’s a meek man who isn’t brave enough to stand up to his mean-spirited boss or advance his relationship with his female friend who he is going into business with—long story short, his life sucks. Bautista is the tough-as-nails LA detective Vic, naturally obsessed with catching the elusive and violent drug dealer who killed his former partner. Fixated on seeking justice one fight at a time, Vic’s hoping to bust the case wide open before his daughter’s art exhibit opens. After a recent eye surgery means he can’t drive himself around, using Uber is his only hope.

The film spends a lot of time bumbling through its exposition, but it’s done at a brisk enough pace that means it rarely slows down the banter. The setup allows for a handful of good gags with an excitable Nanjiani and a sightless Bautista—an interesting dynamic in the way both are on time limits and hindered by their own perceptions of masculinity. I only wish Stuber took better advantage of this aspect. One of the most clever and hilarious contributions Stu makes to the investigation is to torture a gangster by hijacking his Twitter account and forcing him to name names or see his timeline filled with embarrassing tweets.

© 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved

The obligatory car chases and shootouts do have their moments of great excitement and hilarity. A perfect example is a a moment when Stu believes he can chuck a mini propane tank at a gangster’s car and cause it to explode. Comedy formula dictates that either the tank will do nothing or the tank will somehow do something to the car besides make it blow up, but the result was surprising enough to make me laugh. A big problem with the action, however, is that it hinders a greater examination of masculinity, which instead is reduced to PSA levels of bluntness to be made clear. Stu isn’t honest about his rage over those who play around with his feelings, and Vic refuses to acknowledge his feelings or make time for his daughter. This starts out decently but sadly comes tumbling into the third act, when it’s resolved with predictable bluntness.

Stuber comes branded as a bit of a throwback to more classic buddy pictures of the 1980s, made obvious in the sudden tone shifts and the retro movie posters. While it’s certainly not the only or the most compelling buddy picture of this decade, there’s just enough gas in its tank to pull it across the summer entertainment finish line. Just don’t be shocked if it all kind of falls apart into a heap by the end.