In cinemas from January 12, Statham’s latest combines all you want in an action flick – bruising punch-ups, spectacular stunts, killer kiss-off lines – then cranks it up to the max.
Add a gripping yarn about cyberscams, plus a stellar supporting cast, and The Beekeeper is a must-see for any action junkie or thriller fan.
Any questions? We’ve got you covered…
Er, not exactly. The Beekeepers are a super-secret organisation who work outside the established government agencies when the nation is under threat and all else has failed. They protect the hive – if you kick the hive, you reap the whirlwind.
He was – but at the beginning of the film, he’s just a literal keeper of bees.
Adam Clay lives a quiet life in the country, bringing his neighbour Eloise (Phylicia Rashad) honey like a bald-headed Winnie-the-Pooh.
When Eloise falls victim to phishing scammers who steal $2million from her charity, Clay comes out of retirement and starts a rollercoaster of revenge.
And it will take more than a can of Raid to stop him.
He is a one-man army, but only for good. He’s a champion of the disadvantaged, a protector of the little people.
They are a pretty formidable gang. The Big Bad is Derek Danforth, the CEO of Danforth Enterprises.
He is a spoiled nepo baby who skateboards around his vast office, indulges in meditation and spouts corporate buzzwords such as “let me go Big Dog this s***” – but don’t be fooled by the new-age shenanigans.
He is a ruthless cybercriminal, running a network of scamming operations that fleece the gullible.
He’s brilliantly played against type by Josh Hutcherson, who makes Danforth eminently dislikeable.
Danforth’s security detail is put together by a former head of the CIA, the brilliantly named Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons).
And the FBI is on Clay’s tail, led by smart, sassy agent Verona Parker (Emmy Raver-Lampman).
It’s Danforth and his supporters you should feel sorry for. This is The Stath at his very best, causing chaos on a biblical scale.
Clay can kill an attacker with anything that comes to hand, from a desk phone to a jar of honey.
He takes down a whole SWAT squad on his own, unarmed, and turns a tool-shed into a house of pain.
He often leaves a trail of devastation in the rear-view mirror — and there’s always a sting in the tale.
Did we say the film is also hilarious? As well as Jason Statham’s dry quips, there’s Danforth screaming at him: “I told you my name. It’s f*** you. Mr F*** You!”
And Westwyld telling Danforth: “For someone who has elevated f***ing up to an artform, this might well be your Mona Lisa.”