The Wrecking Crew Parent Guide

After their father’s sudden death, estranged brothers James (Dave Bautista) and Johnny (Jason Momoa) are reunited for the first time in 20 years. Johnny is convinced that their father’s death wasn’t an accident, and he’s determined to prove it, whether James helps him or not. As the brothers start to dig, they are faced with more questions than answers, especially when they are both attacked by people who want the truth to stay hidden. 

If you’ve seen one gratuitously violent action flick, you’ve basically seen them all, with very few exceptions. They all have basically the same story structure, characters, and cliches to the point that you can read a plot synopsis and know exactly which beats it will hit and how it will end without even seeing the first scene. The Wrecking Crew never breaks out of that predictable model. It hits familiar beats, has just the right amount of action set pieces, and manages to get in a few touchy-feely moments. It is also extremely well shot and choreographed, which is the sole thing that raises it above the multitude of identical films withering away in streaming service back catalogues. 

Although some scenes are incredible to watch (if you don’t mind all the blood and dead bodies) those moments don’t make up for the bloated runtime, convoluted plot, and extreme amounts of negative content. Some editing would have done wonders to the finished product, but as it stands the runtime is a mix of great action and long stretches of boring cliches. Particularly irksome is this script’s treatment of women. James’ wife, Leila (Roimata Fox), is the only female character with even a little bit of personality, but she isn’t allowed to do much. The other female characters lack any personality: they exist simply to be hot, hang out in the background without agency, or have unexplained expertise for plot-related reasons.  Maybe the target audience of middle-aged men won’t notice this annoying bug, but I sure did. 

I usually have a strong stomach for action, but The Wrecking Crew pushed me to my limits. There are some incredibly creative kills (in a gruesome way), which are shown in gory, bloody details. Pair that with an average of over one f-bomb per minute and some illegal drug use and you’ve got yourself a film that’s not appropriate for most audiences. Thus, despite its skilled cinematography and careful choreography, this flick simply isn’t worth the watch.