- Rating: 2.5/5 stars
- Verdict: Don't mistake the 2.5 out of 5 rating for being a bad movie. "The Wrecking Crew" is a fun time, and definitely worth watching as part of your Prime Video subscription. It's formulaic, loaded with action movie tropes, but is too long and complicated for what it is, so it loses points for that. But it is a blast to watch thanks to Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista's chemistry, and even features some surprisingly gory kills.
- Where to watch: Stream "The Wrecking Crew" on Prime Video now
"The Wrecking Crew" just landed on Prime Video, and while it's new on Prime Video, once you hit play on this action movie, it will feel all too familiar. It does not look to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it's a throwback to the buddy cop action movies of old, particularly "Lethal Weapon," while sprinkling in some more modern gunplay and brutal kills a la "John Wick."
Does that produce a flawed movie? Sure. If you're someone who prides themselves on their sophistication, you could even go as far as to say it's unoriginal and uninspired, though I'd disagree with you on that last front. This movie is nothing if not inspired ... by other movies.
But if you're someone who watches an action comedy just to have a good time, then I've got great news for you: you're going to have a good time. The combination of Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista's chemistry, the liberal use of comedic storytelling and some impressive action set pieces (and gruesome kills) produces a film that lives up to its billing of being one of the top new movies to stream this week.
"The Wrecking Crew" works because Momoa and Bautista work well together
No matter how well the script is or isn't written, a buddy cop movie isn't going to work if its two leads aren't ... well, if they aren't buddies. And while their characters have plenty of baggage, it's undeniable that these two aren't just buddies by the end, but that they work well together throughout the movie.
Of course, these two aren't just buddies. In "The Wrecking Crew," Bautista plays Cmdr. James Hale, a grizzled Navy SEAL veteran. He learns that his father, Walter (Brian L. Keaulana), has been killed in a hit-and-run. But at the funeral, his estranged half-brother, Jonny (Momoa), tells him that it wasn't an accident that killed their father, who was a private detective of some repute. Jonny tells James that he just survived a Yakuza attack and it's related to Walter's death.
That fight, by the way, involves Jonny using a cheese grater to peel the skin off one thug and using a broken window to impale another one. It's the first of many action set pieces in this movie, some of which are excellent, others of which are over the top.
From the funeral, our heroes begin a quest for vengeance or justice, depending on who you ask. James and Jonny don't get along, but both start making progress. While James may be the composed military vet, Jonny is a cop, so he knows how to investigate a murder.
"The Wrecking Crew" may have flaws — its plot becomes unnecessarily convoluted to the point where the movie drags a bit in the middle — but the casting of Momoa and Bautista, and the crafting of their characters, is not one of them.
This movie works because, at its core, it's a buddy cop movie about estranged brothers rediscovering their brotherly bond themselves as they get justice for their father and solve his last case. Because of the script, we can understand why they're estranged. It makes sense that they still love each other deep down. And, most importantly, it's believable that these two, a Navy SEAL and a reservation cop, can kick ass and take names.
Because that aspect of the movie is an undeniable success, this movie is a must-watch now that it's arrived on Prime Video. Don't just take my word for it, either. "The Wrecking Crew" is currently rated 82% "fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so I'm not alone in thinking it works despite its flaws.
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