Review by C.J. Bunce
Everything about Amazon-MGM Studios’ new movie The Wrecking Crew, now streaming on Prime Video, points you to fun ahead. All the fights, high-speed chases, and explosions in a Hawaiian action movie are exactly what was in the trailers–it’s like a sequel to Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and the only thing missing is Dwayne Johnson–although he’s there in spirit courtesy of the writers. It’s a Jason Momoa movie. That means wild, crazy, over-the-top zaniness. It’s a Dave Bautista movie. That adds a balance of a little more gruff, a little more serious. As two half-brothers it means the next buddy cop movie, the next big summer action movie–that just arrived a few months early. What happens when you combine Momoa’s loose cannon cop and Bautista’s Navy SEAL to investigate their father’s murder? A predictable script but wall-to-wall action, including what may be the year’s biggest movie action sequence.
That movie co-stars Jacob Batalon as Pika, who worked for the brothers’ father Walter Hill, a private investigator whose last act was to drop a package in the mail to Jonny, the loose cannon played by Momoa. That package gets picked up at Jonny’s place back in Oklahoma by Jonny’s recently estranged ex Valentina, played by Morena Baccarin. When they all end up back together with James (Bautista’s character) and James’s family in Hawaii, they find themselves attacked nonstop. Who wants them dead? That’s what they must figure out.
A plot with a real estate scheme to take away Islanders’ native land for a Sandals-type resort and political influence and corruption all ties into the Yakuza, which means Jonny and James get plenty of in-person encounters of the martial arts variety. It’s reminiscent of 1980s Steven Seagal movies, but with charismatic actors.
But the big scene finds Jonny and Valentina and James and Pika driving down a highway of lush green, narrow hills. In the middle of their bickering they are ambushed by a helicopter. The scene is perfectly timed, with low-flying near-misses, explosions, close calls, and even a change in drivers, putting Valentina behind the wheel. And then the scene really kicks in. A tunnel, a motorcycle, exploding cars… Put the scene up there with any great action sequence of the past decade. It’s exactly why audiences flooded the theaters for every new Fast & Furious movie.
The movie features Star Wars’ great Jango Fett and Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison as Governor Mahoe, along with Frankie Adams, Miyavi, Stephen Root, and Claes Bang. You can’t say enough about the trajectory of Jacob Battalon. After the Spider-Man movies he seems to pop up everywhere. Here he keeps equal footing with two giants in every way, and delivers the movie’s best humor.
Directed by Blue Beetle’s Angel Manuel Soto, just expect another “movie for guys (and gals) who like action movies.” There’s a plot there but that’s not what anyone is here for. Ultimately like most recent movies set in Hawaii it’s about ‘ohana. It leaves some openings for a sequel. We’ve seen dozens of big budget action movies come straight to the small screen with Hollywood’s biggest names both behind and in front of the camera, but very few have actually returned with a sequel. So don’t get your hopes up.
Grab your lei and dish out some poi. For some fun and well-crafted stunts and action scenes–especially the year’s biggest action scene so far–catch The Wrecking Crew now streaming on Prime Video.
