The Wrecking Crew Divides Critics — Dave Bautista And Jason Momoa Hit Their Sweet Spot

Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista finally got their buddy bruiser. It is called 'The Wrecking Crew,' it hits Prime Video on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, and early reviews are already out. The gist: big charisma, bigger punches, and a script that may not be trying to reinvent anything. Here is what you are walking into.

What this thing is

Momoa and Bautista play estranged half-brothers Jonny and James Hale, dragged back into each other’s orbit by their dad’s murder. One brother is the chaos agent, the other is the disciplined Navy SEAL, and they have to team up to figure out who did it. Angel Manuel Soto is in the director’s chair, and the whole operation leans into old-school action energy, Hawaii vistas, and a two-hour runtime that promised at least as many quips as bruises.

So, do critics like it?

• CBR (Jamie Parker) lands at 7/10. He says the movie basically lives and dies on Momoa and Bautista’s chemistry, which is good news because that part works. The plot? Not the impressive part. But as a couch-friendly, throwback 80s-flavored action hang, he is in. He would also like a sequel if anyone is listening.
• ScreenRant (Greg Hermanns) also gives it a 7/10. The Bautista/Momoa pairing is the flotation device here. The story beats are pretty familiar, and for something around two hours long, he wanted more character work. He praises Angel Manuel Soto’s slick staging and says the Hale brothers’ arc mostly wraps up but leaves just enough room for a do-over that fixes the first movie’s weak spots. He also notes it is nice seeing the Guardians of the Galaxy alum in a more buttoned-up mode while also praising Bautista when he cuts loose. Yes, that reads like two different modes for the same guy, but the point is clear: he plays both gears well.
• Deadline (Pete Hammond) does not slap on a score, but he argues the film’s muscle-on-muscle brawling and scenic Hawaiian backdrop would pop more in a theater than on Prime Video. He thinks both stars are in their wheelhouse here and, importantly, feel like family by the end.
• Next Best Picture (Giovanni Lago) is not sold, giving it a 4/10. The knock: the movie cannot juggle goofy action and family drama, and the well-worn odd-couple formula is starting to creak. His verdict is that it ends up more like screensaver cinema than something you actively watch.
• Paste (Jacob Oller) goes D+. His issue is tonal drift: he thinks the movie never fully commits to being gloriously dumb or sincerely dramatic, pinging between family trauma, Hawaiian noir, meathead mayhem, and straight-up slugfest, with none of those lanes really landing.

'Both stars are in their sweet spot with this material and manage to handle not just the huge action quotient here, but also make it believable that in the end Johnny and James are just family, hale and hearty.'

The read-between-the-lines version

The consensus is weirdly unified: pairing Momoa and Bautista was the right call. Whether the movie hits for you will come down to how much you need fresh plotting versus how happy you are to watch two pros bicker and break furniture. Some critics think it is an easy, fun throwback and a perfect at-home watch; others wanted a firmer comedic or dramatic commitment and more substance for a two-hour runtime. There is also chatter that this might have played better with theatrical-sized sound and scenery. Sequel potential? Multiple reviews say the story mostly closes the book but cracks the door just enough for round two.

When and where to watch

'The Wrecking Crew' streams exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video starting Wednesday, January 28, 2026.