We caught up with Stuber Gang from Stuber at the Los Angeles Premiere.
A word to the wise, get your popcorn early and make a beeline to your seat, because to opening scene of Stuber is not to be missed! In what can only be described as pure adrenaline, Stuber opens BIG with expertly directed non-stop action, adeptly wrapped around action-packed fight choreography, perfectly executed by none other than renowned stunt choreographer Iko Uwais (Oka Tedjo).
The opening scenes were so impressive, I found myself asking “How are they going to top this?” Well the answer was clear, by switching gears to beautifully written buddy action-comedy, with a lot of heart interwoven into it.
Stuber centers around Stu and Vic. Stu is your classic hard working every man who is slowly, but steadily, building a nest-egg in order to woo the love of his life, Becca (Betty Gilpin) who is oblivious to his yearnings. The only problem is Stu works at a sporting goods store, which doesn’t pay much, so he also drives for Uber part-time. All for love, Stu keeps his head down, working earnestly, hoping the extra money will help him buy his way out of the friend zone.
Enter Vic, an LAPD cop, whose life is consumed by his search for the drug dealer who assassinated his beloved partner. His obsession with bringing said bad guy to justice overshadows everything, from his relationship with his daughter (Natalie Moralis) to his self care.
In an effort to make amends, he plans to attend his daughters first art gallery show, unfortunately, on the same day he receives Lasik surgery. Its pure comedy, watching Vic emerge from surgery, belligerent that he must depend on an Uber to get where he is going. And thanks to a last-minute tip by an informant, Vic (questionably) makes the decision to skip his daughters exhibition, and finally bring the bad guy to justice.
It is at this point that Stuber really picks up. For one thing, Stu’s and Vic’s chemistry is undeniable largley due to Dave Bautista ability to seamlessley shift from action to humor, and, without spoiling too much, you see the characters experience some emotional development along the way. Iko Uwais is supurb in his role and expect to see more of Rene Moran and Amin Joesph also shine on screen whenever they enter the scene.
Stuber definitely feels like a throwback to the best of 80’s action films ala Die Hard and 48 hours via an Uber driver trying desperately to keep his five star rating, all the while chasing down the bad guy in a Nissan Leaf, with a bad-ass cop fresh out of Lasik surgery basically holding him hostage.
And true to the action-comedy buddy genre, Stu and Vic bond over quick one liners as bullets fly, shoot each other dead pan looks after narrowly escaping death multiple times, and where else on earth are you EVER going to see a Nissan Leaf haul ass in a full on car chase?
It goes without saying that Stuber’s writing, direction, and actors are so entertaining that it allows you to throw reality out the window and suspend your disbelief for the bulk of the movie while you go along for the action-packed ride. And it’s clear from the first 30 seconds that Stuber is nothing short of pure unadulterated fun with an amazing sound track, composed by Joseph Trapanese, to match!
And the be honest, what else would you want in a Summer action flick?
So make sure to check out Stuber, which opens nationwide July 12.…just be sure to get there early!
Stuber was directed by Michael Dowse, is an action-comedy from 20th Century Fox, written by Tripper Clancy, and also stars Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino, Karen Gillan, and Rene Moran. Stuber opens nationwide on Friday, July 12.
