It all started in August 2021 with a tweet from Hollywood star Dave Bautista (known, among other things, from the “Guardians Of The Galaxy” film series). After they both appeared in “Dune” (but didn't appear in a single scene together) and faced each other in a duel in the second season of the dystopian sci-fi series “See”, he has another collaboration with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”) in mind in an action comedy in the style of “Lethal Weapon” directed by David Leitch (“John Wick”). It should take place in Hawaii and show both of them in swimming trunks, Momoa added in an appearance on a late-night show. After a bidding war, MGM secured the rights to implement the project – which has now turned out to be quite disappointing.
Not only do the two popular action stars wear long trousers and spend most of their time away from beaches and exotic postcard views – the somewhat unimaginatively titled “The Wrecking Crew” (which means something like the “demolition crew”) film directed by “Blue Beetle” filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto only has a limited amount to offer when it comes to action. And what little humor there is is clearly overshadowed by cynical brute force, which doesn't create an exotic holiday atmosphere.
Jason Momoa actually announced that he and Dave Bautista would be in swimsuits for most of “The Wrecking Crew” – but there's not much to see of that.
James Hale (Dave Bautista) is a tough Navy officer living a carefree life with his family in Hawaii – while suspended cop Jonny (Jason Momoa) is addicted to alcohol and has just been dumped by his spirited girlfriend Valentina (Morena Baccarin). When their father Walter (Brian Keaulana) dies under mysterious circumstances, the two estranged half-brothers are forced to get together.
Using rude methods, they find out that private detective Walter was on the trail of the Yakuza's dirty dealings and sent explosive material to Jonny by post shortly before his death. The two dissimilar half-brothers are increasingly being targeted by the Japanese mafia…
The brutal peaks of violence are many things, just not funny
As one of the writers of the tough action series “Banshee,” Jonathan Tropper has shown that he has a flair for clever twists and bitter humor. However, he rarely shows this in the thin plot of his unimaginative script for “The Wrecking Crew”. Right at the beginning, Jonny is visited by Yakuza killers while he's peeing, briefly engages in an infantile “sword fight” – and then beats up the henchmen while drinking beer and schnapps until the blood splatters. Actually quite humorous, but the script quickly shows fear of its own action-overkill courage – and initially slows down several gears when it comes to the grudging reconciliation between the two gigantic and testosterone-charged brothers at a funeral ceremony shown in great detail.
Real “Lethal Weapon” vibes don't arise apart from the ruffian duo, which actually harmonizes well but is also very wooden and unfunny, because brutal, downright cynical violence and humor are often confused with each other. In any case, the audience hardly feels like laughing when, during a chase through a forested valley in the island state with mixed CGI, a helicopter crashes onto the highway and an aggressive motorcyclist's arm is torn off. In this biggest action scene of the entire film, the overview is quickly lost due to a veritable storm of editing. The finale, with a hook in the shoulder and a sword in the stomach, is anything but squeamish – and despite some smug supporting characters, it doesn't have any punchlines.
The film's biggest action scene features a breakneck motorcycle chase, but is destroyed by way too fast editing, mediocre CGI and brute violence.
Stephen Root (“King Of The Hill”) has his moments as the always admonishing police detective, such as when he tells James and Jonny that the way they look would make them eat steroid pancakes for breakfast. Morena Baccarin (“Deadpool”) also delivers an entertaining performance as Jonny’s spirited girlfriend, who soon becomes even more pugnacious and fires up the bad boy with armed force. It's just a shame that the Dane Claes Bang (“William Tell”) remains a real joke beneath his silly updo and strained malevolence in this action film, which is unnecessarily inflated to a running time of just under two hours.
Conclusion: Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa are a visibly well-rehearsed team – but unlike promised, they rarely wear shorts. “The Wrecking Crew” noticeably lacks the lightness that the dreamy holiday setting suggests, despite all the excesses of violence, the simple, slow-paced crime plot and interchangeable run-of-the-mill action.