'The Wrecking Crew' Review
- Connor Petrey
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 01/28/26 [Prime Video]
Genre: Action. Comedy. Crime.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios.
The Verdict: A Must-See
When you hear that Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa are teaming up with an action film, you instantly get hyped and then subdue that hype with the reasoning that it’s a straight to streaming feature so to hold back expectations.
The ridiculous antics of Beverly Hills Cop, add a little 48 Hrs. here and there, some Rush Hour and finish it off with some Bad Boys action, that’ll get you Ángel Manuel Soto’s The Wrecking Crew. While not being enough of its own thing when it counts, it takes the best of what’s come before it in the buddy cop genre and has a blast with the material.
Estranged half brothers played by Bautista and Momoa reunite when their father mysteriously dies from a hit and run. With many issues to deal with, the brothers certainly don’t handle things “bitterly” with constant fighting, disrespect and debatably outdated jokes. However, the chemistry is incredibly accurate with the connection becoming clearer and kinder between the two as their father’s case opens before them. Corrupt officials, Yakuza, and real estate tycoons attack our leads, with no restrictions in order to shield their secrets.
The violence is aplenty, with numerous hand to hand combat sequences that I’d like to think Momoa and Bautista took on a number of the action (but probably didn’t). Nevertheless the scenes are impressive and while maybe not having the x-factor that the John Wick hand to hand combat beings, this is still effective and at times shockingly violent. Remember the teeth scene in American History X… yeah.
Hawaii is a gorgeous state and the film doesn’t shy away from advertising it, but it also showcases the real and true non tourist areas of the state. It’s a compelling choice to have it take place in such a paradise, but I suppose Beverly Hills in the 80s also seemed like an interesting locale.
Momoa and Bautista have a scene in front of a police station in the pouring rain that is rightfully brutal and purposeful. On the other hand, there’s a massive attack that takes place on an active highway overlooking the beautiful Hawaii valleys that feels over indulgent. While cool to look at, it boils over in the end to be a bit too much comparatively to what had come before.
While the action can be explosive, the comedy can backfire with some jokes that are a tad outdated, namely out of Momoa’s character. Whether that be weight related or racial humor, it doesn’t quite hit the same in a 2026 feature. Stephen Root, Jacob Batalon, Morena Baccarin are just a few of the numerous supporting actors that suffer from a lack of screen time to really illuminate the worthiness of their characters. Batalon is the best I’ve seen him since his debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming, with some really strong humor but his character loses steam after a while and then disappears almost entirely. Most are in a similar situation, great material scattered throughout this story of brotherly bonding.
A sincere negative the film has going for it is its lack of a compelling villain. When they are revealed, you understand they are bad… but we don’t witness them doing enough to see it one way or another. Plus the villainous plan… is unfortunately weak in general. I won’t dive into spoilers, but when the plan is laid out, it’s undeniably a lesser evil (but I am not from Hawaii).
Bautista and Momoa star in what could’ve easily been a generic action thriller with hopes of a sequel. Their connection truly elevates the material and while the “evil” plan in place may not be a memorable one, who remembers what the plan of the bad guy was in the first Bad Boys - we only care about the brothers in arms and here it’s no different. While I’d be down for a sequel, it seems clear in the end that idea has already turned to ash.
Comments