Jason Statham is one of Hollywood’s greatest movie stars

They say life has a certain inevitability — death, taxes, and Jason Statham opening a can of screaming ass. But for all the time that Jason Statham has been destroying his enemies in movies, with equal consistency, his talents have come to be taken for granted by audiences and unappreciated by—or dismissed by—many of his detractors, who often see his films as samey, predictable, or just plain bad. completely. With the release of his latest film… beekeeperStatham should dispel any lingering doubt about his career: not only is he one of our greatest action heroes, but his ass-kicking skills are a vital delight to modern cinema.

It may come as a surprise to you to hear Statham described as “underappreciated.” His filmography has grossed over $1 billion, with Statham starring in several major action franchises. He is unbelievable in many of them: in Transporter, gets oiled out in a parking garage and takes on a seemingly endless array of enemies; in crank, fights an attacker while dangling from a helicopter and then falls from it, breaking his neck in the air; And in MegHe punches a strange shark in the face and lives to tell the tale.

but beekeeper It is Statham’s career at its peak, and it is an enjoyable film that shows everything that made him such a beloved and accepted hero in Hollywood. Statham is Adam Clay, a man who (you’d never guess) keeps bees. He lives a reclusive life, renting space in Eloise’s (Phylicia Rashad) garage so he can tend to his precious bees in peace. He’s so happy to be there: “I just want to thank you for putting up with me…and all the bees,” Clay tells her. It’s a completely trivial statement, but Statham delivers it with the confidence of a truly grateful man. That’s his style as an actor: he’s always honest, never overpowers the material, and will always give it his all — even in a movie hopelessly dedicated to bee puns.

When Eloise falls victim to a scam that empties her bank accounts, Clay embarks on a cruel and relentless revenge plan to get justice for Eloise. You see, Clay is not just an ordinary beekeeper(!). He is a former agent of an evil secret organization called the Beekeepers(!!). Let the ass kicking begin.

When Clay finally talks to Derek (Josh Hutcherson, who has a lot of fun being evil), the leader of the criminal con men he’s stalking by phone, he’s startled by Derek’s voice. “You look young. I bet you have no estate planning,” Clay threatens. “I’m 28 years old. Why do I need this?” Derek asks. Clay: “I’m about to propose to you,” and then he hung up. It’s deliberately absurd and over-the-top, but Statham’s line readings are absolutely heroic, using something as stupid as bizarre estate planning to set up the most brutal condemnation you’ve ever heard. It takes a true legend to give such hackneyed dialogue a sense of real menace, but it seems easy when Statham delivers it.

Obviously, Statham has an amazing physique, which makes all the difference beekeeper. His aggressive gaze is enough to make you give away your deepest secrets, and he’s built like a brick house, giving every heavy punch he delivers extra gravitas. He’s also known for performing his own stunts, which brings a lively authenticity from when you watch him from one inexplicable fight scene to the next. beekeeper It allows him to be particularly brutal — in one wince-worthy moment, he chokes a man so badly with a pistol that his teeth come out and fly toward the camera. In another image, he ties a man to a car and launches it off a bridge, while Derek listens on the phone. Watching Statham commit is one of the great pleasures of going to the movies, and indoors beekeeperHe commits so completely that it is a true marvel to watch him.

Daniel Smith

Statham is the definition of a commitment to magic embodied in cinema. He combines leading man appeal while making you buy into the delicious nonsense his films peddle. As he makes his way through the call center, taking down these criminals with various office tools, it seems at the same time impossible but as if you could do it too, and that’s because he makes everything look so easy.

beekeeper He wisely leans into Statham’s encoding quality, which allows us to see him as we want him to be. Like many of Stham’s characters, Clay is a man of few words. Besides some basics, he makes his own orange juice; He loves bees. He can kill people, and we don’t know much about him. Through limited dialogue, the actor instead creates depth through his body. As he fights, we learn more and more about what he is capable of and, in turn, understand who Clay is, while never losing sight of how relatable Statham is.

These qualities make Clay one of Statham’s most interesting characters. A lot of that is due to his brilliant, committed performance, but also because Clay is obsessed with taking down a group of con artists who prey on the elderly. If there’s one thing that unites us all in times of massive political division, it’s that scammers are the worst. Who among us has not imagined their overthrow? Thanks to Statham, this vision is brought to vivid and bloody light. Through Clay’s fists, Statham creates a man she loves to root for.

Jason Statham stands out for his incredible commitment, his amazing physique, and his everyman status – and these aspects particularly shine in the film. beekeeper. It’s a film that fully appreciates everything that makes Statham a formidable action hero, and relies heavily on him to get the job done, which he does with ease. For those who doubt Statham’s abilities, beekeeper Provides undeniable proof that Statham is an action star.