Stretch had a difficult road to the big screen. So difficult, in fact, it never even made it there. Originally set for a March release, Universal delayed the film before unceremoniously releasing it on their new VOD platform, as well as on iTunes and Amazon, and then now on DVD with even less promotion.
Normally, these would all be telling signs of the film’s quality, with the studio having so little confidence in their movie they don’t think it would make it money back, despite a meager budget of less than $5 million. Considering this is the same studio that backed Movie 43 last year, that’s saying something. While there’s no way Stretch would’ve gained wide audience appeal, don’t be discouraged by the seeming lack of faith from its studio. For this new movie from writer/director Joe Carnahan (The Grey) is a wacky but energized ball of fun.
Limo-driver Stretch (Patrick Wilson) hasn’t been the luckiest guy in the world. Initially coming to L.A. to be an actor, he constantly was rejected to the point of his current position, leading to his addictions to cocaine, gambling and alcohol. While a blooming relationship with the beautiful Candance (Brooklyn Decker) makes things better, she eventually leaves him for someone richer and more success, and Stretch’s bad fortunes continue once a Russian mob boss demands he gets him $6,000 by midnight.
Concealing with his co-worker Charlie (Jessica Alba) on how he can get this cash this quick, she gets him in the driver’s seat for a sporadic millionaire Roger Karos (Chris Pine, in an uncredited turn), who may turn his fortunes around by the end of the night. Attempting to do his bidding, Stretch only gets himself in more trouble as the night progresses, as everyone from mobsters to FBI soon chase his tail. If that wasn’t enough, the ghost of Karl (Ed Helms), a former limo driver, constantly haunts Stretch and belittles him in the worse situations and times.
With its frantic pacing, quick dialogue spouting and love of violence, dark humor and profanity, there’s an ongoing Quentin Tarantino-wannabe feel to Stretch. Needless to say, Carnahan’s film doesn’t quite live up to that filmmaker’s work, and isn’t quite as clever or funny as it thinks it is. That said, however, its clever sense of timing and abrasively but, thankfully, its own drumming makes the movie constantly engaging and its own. In that sense, it’s more in line with Seven Psychopaths than The Boondock Saints. Although, all things considered, the movie Stretch falls most in line with is Crank.
Much like a Tarantino film as well is Stretch’s ability to make the best out of its cast. Wilson, balancing nicely a sense of cool and unnerve, plays well into the confused state of his protagonist. Also doing some surprising solid work is Alba and Decker, keeping up to pace with the quickness of the dialogue and giving humanity to their relatively flat characters. But the true star of the movie is Pine. In his scene-stealing, gonzo turn, he gives the movie a pulsating sense of rhythm whenever he’s on-screen. He does a great job at leveling the character’s comedic and dramatic impulses, while also heightening the movie’s sense of urgency, fun and spontaneity.
There’s no doubt throughout Stretch how disarmingly fun the adventure becomes. This is largely thanks, in addition to the cast and filmmaker’s work, to the well-guided editing by Kevin Hale. He’s up to the challenge to stay guarded up to Carahan’s bare-knuckled filmmaking, and helps give the movie its beating intensity. Hale’s work also makes Carnahan’s ongoing monologues for the protagonist to work, for he makes the movie match the character’s stream of conscious.
With a wicked, oddball sense of humor, zany storytelling and endless desire to please—not to mention the best David Hasselhoff cameo maybe ever—Stretch is a lot of fun, especially for those audience members who like their fun a little weird and sometimes beyond the bounds of believability. While it goes just a little too far sometimes to be juvenile, Carnahan made the movie he wanted, had a fun time doing it along with his cast and made a solid piece of entertainment for his audience along the way—even if Universal disagrees.