'They are playing heightened versions of themselves': 'The Wrecking Crew' director on Jason Momoa and Bautista

Filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto, who directed Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in "The Wrecking Crew", says he was attracted to the action story as it features the two actors with very different energies play off against each other.

Described as a buddy cop action-comedy, the film follows two half-brothers, a loose cannon cop and a disciplined Navy SEAL, who must work together to unravel a conspiracy behind their father's murder in Hawaii.

Written by Jonathan Tropper of "This is Where I Leave You" and "The Adam Project" fame, the film premiered on Prime Video on January 28. The movie has received good reviews for the way it tackles the story of two estranged brothers.

Soto, 43, said both Bautista and Momoa were able to bring a lot of who they are in real life and that was a beautiful thing to experience.

"That's why those characters feel lived in, and their chemistry is so unique. It's because they're actually playing heightened versions of themselves. Dave brings his monk-like presence. He has this unique presence and he's very rigid. And in real life, he's a very disciplined guy. And his character is not that different. It's almost like this is what the extreme version of yourself could be," Soto told PTI in a virtual interview.

"Jason, same thing... He brings that nihilistic, fun, explosive energy to the set. The same way that he's in real life and you see him on social media is not that different from the way he handles acting. He will come and he will explore and he will keep it spontaneous," he said.

Soto, who has directed "Charm City Kings" and "Blue Beetle" in the past, credited Tropper of writing a fun and yet sensitive story around the two stars.

"The part that got me excited about the whole exploration of this genre was the fact that Tropper weaved in a very important part that is often left out of action movies -- which is having our heroes who are testosterone-driven, and the action is explosive. But there's a moment of vulnerability that is not just a payoff," Soto said.

According to the director, everything in the movie builds up to the moment where "two grown-a** men" finally have a moment where their walls come down and they are vulnerable with each other.

"A lot of times, we don't dive enough in these types of movies, because there's this misconception that real men don't ask questions, real men don't show emotions. And we believe that is the opposite. If you embrace that side of you, you're going to be able to be the man that you're meant (to be)," he added.

Setting the movie in Hawaii was also a deliberate choice as generally such high-octane action movies are shot in cities.

"Our biggest references and the shoulders that we know we stand on, like 'Lethal Weapon' or '48 Hours', everything takes place in downtown LA.

"For us, it was like, how can we embrace the homage of these films, but paint it on a tropical picture? You cannot hide the tropical landscape, you cannot hide the sun in Hawaii. So let's embrace it and make it part of it and give a different texture to a genre that embraces the cultural identity of a place."

The film also stars Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Frankie Adams, Miyavi, Stephen Root, and Morena Baccarin.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”