Stuber (2019)

[Malcolm R]

Title: Stuber

Tagline: Saving the Day Takes a Pair.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller, Crime

Director: Michael Dowse

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Karen Gillan, Amin Joseph, Mira Sorvino, Joshua Mikel, Julia Vasi, Rene Moran, Apollo GT, James William Ballard, Darin Ferraro, Jennifer Riker

Release: 2019-07-11

Runtime: 93

Plot: After crashing his car, a cop who's recovering from eye surgery recruits an Uber driver to help him catch a heroin dealer. The mismatched pair soon find themselves in for a wild day of stakeouts and shootouts as they encounter the city's seedy side.

 

[Malcolm R]

I find myself laughing every time I see a trailer for this. I love Dave Bautista anyway, think he's hilarious as Drax and he was the best thing about Hotel Artemis. Hope the film is able to sustain the humor shown in the trailers.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I'm surprised we didn't already have a thread for this, since I've been seeing its marketing for what feels like a long time. Thanks for creating one, Malcom.

I really like the cast of this -- Nanjani, Bautista and Gillan. But so far the reviews have been decidedly mixed. It's currently at 47% on Rotten Tomatoes -- but only has 17 reviews listed.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stuber

The critics who I trust and tend to agree with the most have not weighed in yet, so I'll probably wait until reviews from them are posted before making a final decision about going to the theater or not. But I'm considering it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

IMO, the trailer makes it look pretty lousy.

I'll see it but I have exceedingly low expectations - it has that "all the good jokes are in the trailer" feel, and the jokes in the trailer aren't that good!

 

[TravisR]

IMO, the trailer makes it look pretty lousy.

I'll see it but I have exceedingly low expectations - it has that "all the good jokes are in the trailer" feel, and the jokes in the trailer aren't that good!

I have the same feeling but I also have a buddy that saw a preview screening and loved it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I have the same feeling but I also have a buddy that saw a preview screening and loved it.

I hope my impression is wrong! Despite my reputation around here, I (almost) always hope to enjoy movies I see, so I won't go to "Stuber" looking to hate it.

I'm just left uninspired by the trailers!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I hope my impression is wrong! Despite my reputation around here, I (almost) always hope to enjoy movies I see, so I won't go to "Stuber" looking to hate it.

I'm just left uninspired by the trailers!

That might be the goal, but it seems like it's rarely achieved.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

That might be the goal, but it seems like it's rarely achieved.

Sorry I view movies with a critical eye and don't love everything I see!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sorry I view movies with a critical eye and don't love everything I see!

Neither do I, I just don't post my negative comments as frequently as some others around here.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Neither do I, I just don't post my negative comments as frequently as some others around here.

So you suppress negative opinions? If so, I don't know what purpose that serves...

 

[Robert Crawford]

So you suppress negative opinions? If so, I don't know what purpose that serves...

For a couple of reasons, I don't have the desire/need to share my film opinion all of the time. Secondly, I enjoy talking about films I like more than films I don't care for. Thirdly, some people like to use my moderator position against me so I try to refrain from expressing a film opinion that may be counter to others. Finally, I'm posting and moderating the entire forum and at times, I just run out of time to share all of my thoughts, especially ones that may be negative in nature. Not every film needs my seal of approval or disapproval.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I don't discuss every movie I see, either. I don't differentiate between discussion of movies I like or dislike or find mediocre - discussion is discussion in my book.

I think it gets tiresome when the "discussion" is just "I loved it!" all the time, though...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Most realize by now I'm a joyless husk who still goes sees movies in the theaters, and manages to spew maybe a few sentences on them nowadays.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Seems to me the more television commercial promotion I see on an upcoming film, the more disappointing or lousy the film will be to the viewer (the producers know through the cards from pre-release screenings that they have a bomb on their hands, and will try to recoup money by way of advertising). The good films don’t need commercials- they are well-promoted by way of word of mouth or keyboard.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Seems to me the more television commercial promotion I see on an upcoming film, the more disappointing or lousy the film will be to the viewer (the producers know through the cards from pre-release screenings that they have a bomb on their hands, and will try to recoup money by way of advertising). The good films don’t need commercials- they are well-promoted by way of word of mouth or keyboard.

All movies get lots of advertising - especially if they're ones with high budgets.

Even something as "pre-sold" as "Endgame" came with plenty of promotion.

Some super-small movies may work the way you describe, but not the Hollywood productions...

 

[Tino]

I think it gets tiresome when the "discussion" is just "I loved it!" all the time, though...

This forum is hardly that. Plenty of “I hated it” going around too. I think it’s a pretty even mix.

 

[Malcolm R]

Decent review from EW, Grade B.

https://ew.com/movie-reviews/2019/07/11/stuber-movie-review/

Summer is the season for low expectations; sometimes, isn’t the sweet relief of full-blast air conditioning and a few moving images enough? Stuber, bless its ridiculous, adrenalized heart, is the kind of movie that clears that bar better than it objectively should — 90 manic minutes of lethal weaponry and stupid-smart punchlines.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, "Stuber" was fairly dumb, maybe a laugh or two, plus a comedically painful fight scene in a sporting goods store.

 

[Chris Will]

I thought it was good. I wasn’t lol’ing the whole time and, yes, the biggest laughs were in the trailer (a problem with almost every comedy these days) but, it was an enjoyable movie IMO.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

It's funny during its first act, mainly because Bautista and Nanjiani create a pair with comedic chemistry.

Totally cliche in most ways, though, and the story seems half-hearted at best. The "plot" is mainly an excuse to send Stu and Vic to a bunch of situations.

The movie still has some laughs during the 2nd and 3rd acts, but they become fewer, mainly because the story seems so tedious.

Watchable but mediocre. Still, better than the reviews indicate!