A Working Man

I just left the theaters about 20 minutes ago . I like it

The movie might draw the usual criticisms. Statham essentially plays the same character that he's played in many of his other films. There are several plot holes (e.g. How can he walk away from a massacre so easily?). The story is predictable and trite. There are impossible tropes, such as a main character who somehow avoids getting shot when the bad guys fire a machine gun right at him

But even with all those "problems" -- the movie is good for just one reason: Jason Statham is so good in the role. He looks and acts the part, and the way he can impart elements of comedy without diminshing the vibe is mesmerizing. For example - even when he's interrogating someone or getting ready to break someone's nose, he can make you smile and laugh with a one-liner or even a mere glance. I just don't know how anyone could watch a Statham movie and not find him likable. When you watch this movie, you just can't help but get behind his character and pull for him to come through unharmed. I love the scenes involving him and his character's daughter too

The movie has some good fighting scenes, as most Statham movies do. The villains are alright,. I do feel that the missing girl brings down the film a few times. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that we see her kick some butt and do other things to appear brave or charming. Instead, she came off as annoying. Nobody buys that this little girl could fight, and seeing her act brave and fearless in front of the villains took some magic off Statham's actions: Statham seems less brave when he confronts the bad Russian mafia because we see a little girl stand up to them. The girl should've played the scared and helpless damsel in distress

7.5/10.

"The Beekeeper" was a film I thought would be hilariously bad. Instead, it subverted my expectations by being a fun, solid actioner. Even on rewatch in preparation for "A Working Man," it hasn't lost its sharp edge. I also consider Jason Statham among my Top 2 favorite action stars alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. Unfortunately, as a Statham fan, I was disappointed, but it may work for you. My criticisms may be your highlights, hopefully.

Even in a mediocre film, Jason Statham always clocks into work, and Levon Cade is no exception. Whether it's his superb fighting skills or his ability to make weak dialogue sound 100 times better, and I'll get to the screenplay, Statham never manages to underdeliver.

Next, while not as fun or as present as "The Beekeeper," the action was (mostly) enjoyable. That can be because of Statham and the solid directing from David Ayer. Many of the action scenes were riveting, and one motorcycle chase scene is one I'll likely remember.

Outside of that, some lines of dialogue were funny and powerful, Shawn White's cinematography was great, and, as I said, David Ayer does a strong job directing-wise.

As much as I wanted to like it, there are too many flaws that I can't overlook.

To start, the screenplay from David Ayer and Sylvester Stallone was weak. If I had any concerns beforehand, Stallone was one of them. He's far from a bad writer, penning the scripts of installments in The Expendables and Rambo franchises. However, I feared that this film would parallel some of their plot points, and they do, especially "Rambo: Last Blood," given that Cade must save his boss's daughter from human traffickers. Aside from the action in the final act, I don't like that franchise closer, but "A Working Man" is better.

The screenplay creates a story I didn't get invested in. Maybe it's because of familiarity, but "The Beekeeper" wasn't entirely original either, so I'm okay with a generic Statham movie. This narrative was too much for me, though.

Finally, it's possible that "The Beekeeper" set my expectations, but regardless, this film was way too serious for its good. Again, it revolves around human trafficking, and they would take it seriously, I get it. It has many moments that try to be comedic as if to indicate that it'd balance the subject matter with the Jason Statham entertainment people like myself expected, not just exclusive to that prior Statham/Ayer offering. Ironically, one of my issues with "The Beekeeper" is the seriousness present, but it mixed the topics of scamming elders with exhilarating action better than this follow-up.

Overall, "A Working Man" was Taken Lite meets Rambo Raw, not the unofficial sequel to "The Beekeeper" I hoped it'd be. Then again, they announced that sequel weeks earlier, and I'm incredibly excited to see what they do. As much as I can't forgive the issues, I understand you may be able to. If The Expendables and Rambo are your thing, even their weaker installments, you'll enjoy your time here.

Technically, the screenplay holds it back, but the acting, directing, and cinematography make the technical score a 6/10.

For the enjoyment score, there's potential for a 7/10 experience if you can ignore the issues I discussed in this review. Otherwise, a 5/10 enjoyment score will more or less be the result. It was a disappointing day at the office, but the action may justify going to the theaters!

A Working Man is let down by its overly long run time exacerbated because of how needlessly convoluted its plotting is but it can still deliver the goods frequently enough to be a solid action flick that actually manages to avoid most of the icky issues with these types of stories. From the moment the flashy opening title sequence starts, it's clear this is going to be almost hilariously straight faced and better for it.

Surprisingly, there's a pretty eccentric cast of villains here however, it always remains Jason Statham's movie and him doing his usual extremely serious shtick carries this one as usual. Once again, he's playing squarely to his strengths and it's seriously impressive how him playing this type of character for the umpteenth time doesn't feel anywhere near as stale as when his fellow contemporaries stay in their respective lanes.

David Ayer's direction isn't as strong as his efforts in last year's The Beekeeper whilst keeping the film consistently visually slick despite a couple of weird creative flourishes. The action is unexpectedly choppy when also compared to Ayer and Statham's last collaboration, saved by the stuff that's still easy to see and a wild action packed finale. The overdone score by Jared Michael Fry really helps to nail the throwback feel this is going for.

Levon Cade (Jason Statham) is a working man. He is ex-British military. His wife committed suicide while he was away on duty. He is now struggling to raise their daughter. He works construction for the beloved Garcia family. One night, Jenny Garcia gets kidnapped while out at a bar with her friends. Levon takes on the Russian mob to find her.

Jason Statham is well within his comfort zone in this action B-movie. The action is fun. The production is pretty good and better than the average B-movie. The story is fine. Jenny should probably be Levon's daughter instead. The villains are comic-book adjacent. They should really stop asking, "Why he's doing this for one girl?" It gets annoying and dumb. I thought he should leave those missing person flyers every time he kills a gangster. This is mostly fine for what it is.

As the title says, this movie is another Jason Statham movie where one would expect some Jason Statham action. And once again as expected, he delivers perfectly.

Sure the plot is basic: Levon must rescue his employer's daughter from a gang of russian traffickers, the universe of which is deeper than expected. But the action is good, the filming is well executed, the music is nice and complements the story well, and Jason Statham is, well Jason Statham.

I definitely recommend the watch for his fans or for people that just want to enjoy a simple action movie, perfect for a sunday evening. Enjoy!