"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!
