Big Picture Big Sound

Longtime friends, collaborators, and famous people George Clooney and Brad Pitt team up again for "Wolfs," directed by Jon Watts (who also directed the three Tom Holland "Spider-Man" movies: "Spider Man: Homecoming," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Spider-Man: No Way Home"). Watts' film is built to succeed on the celebrity of Clooney and Pitt, but instead of succeeding because of them, it simply coasts on their well-earned movie star charisma.

"Wolfs" is being distributed by Apple TV+ and was meant for a proper theatrical release. Who could blame them? Two global stars leading a crime-thriller seemed like it would attract a waning audience to the multiplexes. Seemingly, the brass at Apple got sour grapes over the poor performance of "Fly Me to the Moon" (a bad movie) and "Argylle" earlier this year (an even worse movie) and shunted "Wolfs" to streaming after playing in a few theaters for a week. How times have changed.

The movie is billed as a crime-thriller, but neither of those aspects are the movie's strongest components. The movie, while easy to watch, only works because Clooney and Pitt have such an easy chemistry, built from years working together (the highlight being the masterpiece of movie stardom "Ocean's Eleven"). Their rapid exchange of barbs as rival fixers makes Watts' otherwise flimsy screenplay sing louder.

Clooney - billed as Margaret's Man - is called to Margaret's (Amy Ryan) hotel room  when she needs a terrible situation cleaned up. Margaret is a high profile individual, so she needs someone who works under discretion. To both of their surprise, there's another mysterious knock at the door and Pitt's character - billed as Pam's Man - walks in, for reasons unknown to the others. Turns out, they were both sent to the job and must put their rivalry on pause to complete it.

There's an easiness to "Wolfs" that makes the movie flow, but every step of the way feels far too thin for the audience to become fully involved. The movie is built as a star vehicle, and such a movie feels like an antique in today's marketplace, so it's enjoyable to spend 100 minutes with Clooney and Pitt. From an entirely contrived set-up in the early scenes of the movie, to the repetitive nature of the run-all-night screenplay, Clooney and Pitt keeps things on course as much as possible.

It's hard to watch a movie like "Wolfs" and not lament how it once would have been a $100 million-plus box office smash. Somehow, Hollywood knows how to make a longtime-coming feel like a change overnight, and people like Clooney and Pitt are now instantly in your living room, instead on the marquee at your local multiplex. But, "Wolfs" is fine enough entertainment for a Friday night in.