Both Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista have had a plethora of projects in recent years, but The Wrecking Crew marks a new era for both of them as an onscreen duo. The Wrecking Crew may not be a perfect film, but what it lacks in substance it makes up for with style. Bautista and Momoa not only excel as a duo, but their onscreen chemistry creates a feeling of nostalgia with an ’80s buddy cop vibe.
The Wrecking Crew looks at Bautista’s James Hale and Momoa’s Jonny Hale, who are estranged half-brothers, brought back together to uncover a conspiracy around their father. James and Jonny have been apart for over a decade, but conflict, anger, and murder all brought them back together in a low-stakes action comedy that won’t win any awards, but will provide a fun popcorn flick experience.
Momoa & Bautista Are a Classic Onscreen Pairing in The Wrecking Crew
There have been many incredible onscreen duos over the decades, but Momoa and Bautista are new onto the scene. In The Wrecking Crew, the pair prove that they not only are great together in this movie, but also deserve to continue pairing up in future films. They have an effortless chemistry and easily fall into comfortable roles within the dynamic.
Momoa’s Jonny is brash, reckless, loves drinking, and is full of anger over how his father and brother treated him and his mother, who has since passed away. It feels perfectly suited to not only Momoa’s personality but also plays into his wheelhouse as an actor. While Momoa can excel in serious roles, like in Chief of War, The Wrecking Crew proves that action comedy is ideal for him.
On the flip side, Bautista also finds a role that is perfect for him in the post-Guardians of the Galaxy era. James is the polar opposite of Jonny. He is uptight, in the Navy, and has everything under control at all times. Yet, he still struggles with not only his own mistakes, but the mistakes his brother made as well. Throughout the movie, he keeps everything under control, yet exudes a sense of danger and power. It only serves to make his character more interesting and stands out from Momoa’s more out-loud personality.
The duo works so well together, it becomes unbelievable that they haven’t done work together before. Their dynamic, along with the over-the-top action, makes the movie feel like an ’80s buddy cop film, similar to Tango and Cash or Lethal Weapon, with Bautista and Momoa anchoring the entire outing.
Their onscreen energy is infectious and continues to draw in the audience. Even when the story lulls or fails to excite, their performances keep people watching. Their dynamic elevates the rest of the movie and helps to bring it out of obscurity, making it well worth watching. It is wonderful to see the birth of a new onscreen pair that could easily go on to create countless movies together.
What really helps to make them pop beyond chemistry is that the characters are also able to stand on their own. The characters operate independently almost as well as together. Each feels authentic to their part of the story and is enjoyable to watch as they figure out their own part of the mystery.
If there was one character that thrived over the other, Momoa would be the standout. His boyish charms are effortless and easily allow the viewers to connect with him and his story in the film. While they are both leads, the movie lends itself more towards Momoa than Bautista.
The Wrecking Crew Plot Is Completely Unimaginative
The Wrecking CrewImage via Prime Video
While Momoa and Bautista are great, the story is extremely lacking. From predictable villains to lackluster twists, the movie does almost nothing fresh. Even the premise of the movie feels like it has been done a dozen times: The death of a loved one bringing estranged people back together has been done almost as many times as a lone gunslinger saving a town in a Western.
While the light plot does create a familiar feeling for the audience, it also creates a sense of immense predictability as the movie goes on. Beat for beat, it’s easy to see many of the twists coming to the point that the film shouldn’t have even bothered to hide them in the first place.
Even when the movie tries to build emotional moments, it becomes difficult to buy into. There is so little development given to the deeper beats that it feels almost silly when the movie gives in to them. While the film obviously can’t be non-stop action, it also doesn’t perform strongly at balancing the emotional development with the eventual payoff that the film gives.
The other issue comes from the supporting cast and their lack of a real role within the movie. The biggest waste is Morena Baccarin, who is a wonderful talent that isn’t truly used to her potential. She essentially becomes a MacGuffin in the movie. She delivers exposition, conveniently solves problems, and has skills that just so happen to be exactly what the team needs in that moment.
Beyond Baccarin, others fail to make an impression. Jacob Batalon is a fun addition, but mostly serves as the butt of jokes rather than a real character. There just wasn’t a lot of space for the supporting cast to have meaningful roles alongside Momoa and Bautista’s adrenaline-filled action romp.
Fun Action Delivers a Sense of ’80s Nostalgia
The Wrecking CrewImage via Prime Video
The Wrecking Crew certainly creates a nostalgia for the loud, action-heavy movies of the 80s. Roll the clock back and drop in Stallone or Schwarzenegger, and the movie would still work as well. Momoa and Bautista embody an evolved version of the massive stars of the ’80s and bring the same attitude to the screen.
Movies like Red Heat and Beverly Hills Cop are well remembered, and while The Wrecking Crew won’t gain the same level of notoriety, it evokes the same style. James and Jonny balance their quips and banter with incredible bursts of action and explosions. The action also remains just as hilariously unrealistic as in decades past.
From being next to massive explosions and walking away unscathed, to being able to take an unbelievable amount of punishment and shake it off by the next scene. There is no sense of realism, and there really doesn’t need to be in this kind of movie. The action is fun and exciting, and that all comes from how outrageous it is.
The Wrecking Crew is also very aware of the vibe that it is trying to bring to the screen. It even goes as far as to make some fun ’80s references, like Van Damme, and even the use of the Yakuza within the movie feels like it fits in perfectly with the ’80s feeling of the entire movie.
The Wrecking Crew gives fans exactly what they would expect going into the movie. It is a fun popcorn flick that delivers adrenaline-fueled fun, a buddy cop dynamic, and great performances from Momoa and Bautista. While the plot may fail to impress, it still makes for a comfortable easy-to-stream movie that hearkens back to the simpler action films of the 80s.
The Wrecking Crew is streaming on January 28, 2026, on Prime Video.
Release Date
January 28, 2026
Director
Ángel Manuel Soto
Writers
Jonathan Tropper
Producers
Jason Momoa, Lynn Harris, Matt Reeves, Dave Bautista, Jeffrey Fierson, Angela Laprete
Pros & Cons
- Momoa and Bautista make a great action duo.
- Fun action permeates the whole movie.
- The movie evokes a feeling of an ’80s buddy cop film.
- The plot is razor thin and has zero surprises.
- The supporting cast adds little to nothing to the movie.
