By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
As a throwback to 80’s and 90’s style action films, “The Beekeeper” scratches that itch of a pure, straightforward, ass kicking production with a topical storyline. Sure, the premise is pretty silly, but the movie is self-aware enough to poke fun of itself and create amusing moments. Even Jason Statham, a very one-dimensional actor, couldn’t mess up the simplicity of this action romp.
A clandestine organization that operates with complete autonomy outside of the normal boundaries is known as Beekeepers. Adam Clay (Jason Statham) is one of their retired operatives living a quiet life as a normal beekeeper in the countryside. When the only person who ever cared for him, Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad), commits suicide after being scammed out of all her money, Clay quickly comes out of retirement to wage a campaign of vengeance against everyone involved in the scam.
Leaving a growing trail of bodies in his wake, Clay fights his way to the top of the hive, gaining the attention of the FBI and the head of the snake, Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson). Scared for his life, Danforth quickly surrounds himself with teams of ex-special forces soldiers and his well-connected confidant Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons). As he exposes multiple layers of conspiracy through his rampage, Clay’s singular mindset to eradicate the corruption for good has far reaching consequences that could turn his nation and former organization against him to stop the full truth from being revealed.
“The Beekeeper” is the fifth film Jason Statham has starred in within the past year. His previous four films have been some of the worst of 2023 from “Meg 2: The Trench” to “Expend4bles,” and he’s been one of the main reasons behind their failures. However, finding a role that is suited to his limited acting abilities can yield entertaining returns, and that’s exactly what happens with this role. His character is closed off emotionally, so that saves viewers from having to endure painful attempts at dramatic acting, and it allows Statham to focus solely on executing fight choreography, which is his strength. Good dialogue writing even provides some unexpected humor as he prepares to demolish his opponents.
Josh Hutcherson portrays the main antagonist, and he had his fair share of failure in 2023, starring in “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Like with Statham, his role is specifically suited to his limited talents as a sniveling, drug addled, and morally corrupt spoiled brat. Providing the relatable emotional anchor to the storyline is veteran actress Phylicia Rashad. Emmy Raver-Lampman and Bobby Naderi deliver commendable performances as the FBI agents assigned to the case.
Director David Ayer has had an up and down career so far with horrible films like “Suicide Squad” and “The Tax Collector” to impressive action films like “End of Watch” and “Fury.” Ayer doesn’t try to be fancy with “The Beekeeper.” Instead, he sticks to a tried-and-true action formula with a basic revenge plot and executes it very well. The fight choreography is intense and on point, providing some high-octane sequences that leave the audience smiling at its brutal efficiency. Incorporating a believable and all too real foundation of scammers preying on the most vulnerable add that needed connective element to make viewers inwardly cheer at the ruthless violence being showered upon the villains. While the plot twists surrounding the antagonist may seem outrageous and farfetched at first glance, they’re more believable when reflecting on actual current events.
If you’re looking for a simple-minded action flick reminiscent of an old Steven Seagal or Jean Claude Van Damme driven revenge plot, then Jason Statham has you covered. “The Beekeeper” is a fun, fast-paced movie that gets off to a quick start and doesn’t stay off the gas through its entirety. As an added bonus, it will even make you laugh with its brutality and line delivery.
This movie earns:
