Clooney and Pitt play highly skilled “cleaners”, hired to take care of problems for high profile figures. They work alone, but on this job, they’ve been forced to team up. They’re essentially playing two versions of the same character, which is what makes this movie as fun as it is. Obviously we know these two actors have great chemistry, and watching the two of them firing quips at one another here is extremely entertaining. The wild card addition to the Pitt/Clooney duo is Austin Abrams, who actually steals a few scenes from his iconic acting partners. The three of them together form an unlikely trio you can’t help but love.
The movie itself is fairly cookie-cutter in terms of structure and plot, but it’s a serviceable vehicle for its stars. The pacing often lacks tension or urgency, which makes the stakes feel lower than they are. It’s missing the same kind of energy Jon Watts brought to his Spider-Man trilogy, even though the elements are here for something a bit more exciting than the final product. It’s certainly a stronger MCU departure than others like the Russo brothers, but it still feels just a little underwhelming compared to what we know Watts is capable of.
Wolfs coasts on the backs of its super-star leading men, and the addition of an impressive performance by Austin Abrams. It obeys genre conventions to an unexciting fault, but it remains a fun, breezy action comedy that I had a pretty good time with overall.
3.5/5