Jason Statham is a juggernaut when it comes to action films. He’s played a bank robber, a courier driver for hire, and a rescue diver taking on a giant shark. This time around Statham takes on a much sweeter role in the new MGM Studios film THE BEEKEEPER. Statham also acts as a producer on the film.
David Ayer (Suicide Squad, Harsh Times) directs the screenplay by Kurt Wimmer(Equilibrium, Ultraviolet). Jason Statham plays Adam Clay who spends his days taking care of honey bees. His friend Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad) falls for an electronic Phishing scam. Filled with guilt for losing over 2 million in a children’s charity funds she commits suicide. Clay sets out on a path of revenge to sting the people responsible for the fraud.
This being a Statham vehicle, there’s a good chance his character has a set of skills that make him a lethal weapon. Clay is in actuality a former operative of a clandestine organization called “Beekeepers”. Agent Verona Parker (Lampman), the daughter of the decased catches Clay in the house with a knife in hand. He’s brought in for questioning and clears his name as a suspect in his friend’s death. He sets out to take revenge on the people responsible for the scam. Death and destruction follows as Clay avenges his friend’s death.
As action plots go this is your standard fair. Someone or something dies, and a hero in waiting sets out to right the wrongs. Mix in action, gunplay, violence and profanity and voilà the action movie is complete. Sometimes, these films don’t connect all the dots and the film falls flat. This isn’t the case with THE BEEKEEPER. The film is more style over substance. The audience will see outstanding action scenes (Keep a lookout for the best use of a stapler in film since Office Space). What THE BEEKEEPER is lacking is an original plot. Who needs a plot when Statham is slicing up bad guys and making it look oh-so-easy?
Emmy Raver-Lampman as Agent Verona Parker is great at playing cat and mouse with Statham. Parker isn’t a multi-dimensional character, but does show some growth throughout. Lampman gets in a few memorable lines but isn’t the main focus of the film. This character could use more repore with Clay, which would help the audience to get vested in them.
Jeremy Irons plays Wallace Westwyld and shines in his scenes. The issue is he’s underused and his character seems subdued. Irons is one of those actors that has an intensity about him. Irons portrayal of “Simon” the head of an East German terrorist group in Die Hard With A Vengeance comes to mind. Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Grosse Point Blank) is in the film too. Blink and you’ll miss her as a minor character.
Fans of The Hunger Games film franchise, should reconize Josh Hutcherson. He plays a pivotal character named Derek Danforth. It’s evident early on that Danforth is a spoiled, elite, rich kid. Hutcherson is in top form when he’s a dark character like this one.
This is a treat to see in an IMAX theatre. The all-encompassing screen and the surround sound puts you right in the middle of the action. This isn’t to say that seeing this in a conventional theatre is a minus at all. If subwoofer bone-shaking explosions are your thing, then IMAX is the way to go.
The stunt team needs a heavy pat on the back. THE BEEKEEPER fills the theatre with eye-popping and extraordinary stunts. It’s no easy task to make these look believable, but the stunt team did it tenfold. Tom Connelly who stunt doubles for Statham is particularly good. There was only one instance when it was obvious that Connelly was doing a certain stunt.
THE BEEKEEPER is a full on action assault, reminiscent of the classics from Stallone and .Schwarzenegger. Ayer directs a balance of drama and action, although the action is the dish for this dinner. Statham is enjoyable as the singular vengeance seeker. There’s a definite Statham style to the way that he dispatches the baddies in the film. Although the story is typical for an action/revenge film. There are some interesting factoids about bees sprinkled throughout the broken limbs and bodies. This is worth seeing on the big screen where the explosions and bone-crushing is large and loud. It seems as if the action is only inches from your eyes and ears. So get refreshments, and a treat, sit down and prepare to BEE entertained.
THE BEEKEEPER
Only in theaters January 12, 2024
