Hollywood
Brothers in arms The Wrecking crew smashes action with heart
MUMBAI: Some family reunions come with hugs. Others come with fists, secrets and the occasional explosion. That is the premise powering The Wrecking Crew, an action comedy that brings together two of Hollywood’s most physically commanding stars, Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, as estranged half-brothers forced back into each other’s orbit. Set against the sun-soaked streets of Hawaii, the film blends brute-force spectacle with bruised emotions, turning sibling rivalry into a full-throttle mystery.
Momoa plays Jonny and Bautista stars as James, brothers separated by time and temperament, reunited only after their father’s mysterious death. What begins as an uneasy truce soon spirals into a deeper investigation, as buried family truths and long-simmering resentments rise to the surface. The closer they get to answers, the clearer it becomes that the conspiracy they have stumbled into could tear what remains of their family apart. The result is a story where loyalty is tested as often as bones, and nothing is off-limits once the gloves come off.
The film is directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, following his work on Blue Beetle, and written by Jonathan Tropper. Production duties are shared by a heavyweight team including Jeff Fierson, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris, signalling a project designed to balance scale with character. At 2 hours and 2 minutes, the runtime leaves room for both chaos and contemplation.
Beyond its leading duo, The Wrecking Crew features an eclectic supporting cast that adds texture and tonal contrast. The ensemble includes Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Frankie Adams, Miyavi, alongside scene-stealing turns from Stephen Root and Morena Baccarin.
What sets the film apart, however, is not just the muscle on display. At its core, The Wrecking Crew is a story about brotherhood, masculinity and redemption, probing what it means to face the parts of your past you would rather outrun. The chemistry between Momoa and Bautista, long talked about by fans, finally finds its outlet here, mixing self-aware humour with moments of unexpected tenderness.
In an action landscape often dominated by interchangeable explosions, The Wrecking Crew positions itself as something sturdier. Loud when it needs to be, but surprisingly heartfelt when it matters, the film suggests that even the hardest-hitting action comedies work best when they remember what is really at stake.
Hollywood
Did the ballet and opera controversy cost Timothée Chalamet his Oscar?
The actor’s ‘dying art forms’ comments may have danced away his Oscar chances.
LOS ANGELES: Last night, the 98th Academy Awards delivered a performance that wasn’t in the script, as Michael B. Jordan clinched the Best Actor statue, leaving Timothée Chalamet’s widely predicted win to pirouette away into the night. While Chalamet was long considered the frontrunner for his starring turn in Marty Supreme, many are whispering that a singular, ill-timed performance, not on screen but on the campaign trail, may have rewritten the finale.
For months, the narrative surrounding the race had a singular star, Chalamet, the critics’ darling and the bookies’ bet. However, the closing numbers saw a dramatic plot twist. Chalamet found himself upstaged not just by his fellow nominees but by the ghost of public opinion, following remarks he made during a Variety and CNN actor-on-actor conversation in February.
What started as a breezy discussion turned distinctly frosty when Chalamet, the conversation’s designated trendsetter, took aim at some classical institutions. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, where no one is interested anymore,” he said, before branding them “dying art forms.”
The backlash was swift and, unfortunately for Chalamet’s campaign, star-studded. For the film industry, an establishment that often fancies itself as the glamorous custodian of the high arts, the actor’s comments didn’t just strike a bum note. They sounded like a discordant symphony. Academy heavyweights, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg, publicly voiced their disapproval. Spielberg himself countered that the “cinematic experience” and classical performance are bound by a similar dedication to audience engagement, effectively suggesting that Chalamet’s view was perhaps a bit too modern for its own good.
The conversation quickly became a media maelstrom. In a masterstroke of high-culture clapback, renowned ballerina Misty Copeland didn’t just issue a statement. The Academy even choreographed a surprise performance by her for the ceremony itself, a powerful, wordless rebuttal that many saw as a direct riposte to Chalamet’s dismissive claims. Even regional arts institutions joined the choreography. The Seattle Opera offered a cheeky “TIMOTHEE” discount, granting a 14 percent markdown to prove that people do, in fact, care.
Did this cultural counterpoint truly cost Chalamet his win? While some industry insiders argue that Michael B. Jordan’s complex dual performance in Sinners, a performance that also swept the SAG Awards, had simply built up too much momentum, the timing of Chalamet’s comments was undeniably poor. Coming as final Oscar voting began, they arguably soured his narrative and made a vote for him feel, to some, like a vote against artistic unity.
Even the ceremony itself wasn’t finished with the narrative. Host Conan O’Brien, whose sharp tongue is a celebrated feature of these galas, didn’t miss a beat. “Security is extremely tight tonight,” O’Brien jibed during his opening monologue, glancing toward the front row. “I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities. They’re just mad you left out jazz!”
The laughter that followed was pointed, a final public curtain call for a controversy that Chalamet likely wished had closed weeks ago. Whether it was a case of genuine peer disapproval, a sudden surge in support for Jordan’s powerhouse performance, or simply a case of poor footwork on the campaign stage, the ballet and opera debacle has now cemented its place in Oscar history. Chalamet’s experience serves as a clear memo to future contenders. Even when you are the headline act, a solo performance can still fall flat if you forget to play to the entire house.
