Chris Evans worked opposite Jason Statham in a polarizing (and severely underrated) early 2000s action thriller, and the often-forgotten movie is undoubtedly one of Statham’s best acting performances in a villainous role. Statham is not typically known for portraying the bad guy in films. However, he is still a notable action star, frequently playing characters who are fearless, tough, and violent. These characteristics could apply to either the protagonist or antagonist in an action thriller, but for Statham’s first project with Evans in 2004, it was the latter.
Meanwhile, Evans mostly takes on heroic roles on the big screen, including his iconic run as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Evans has had a handful of memorable movie appearances as a villain (e.g. Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Ransom in Knives Out). For Evans and Statham’s early 2000s action thriller, though, Evans was the hero and Statham was the villain, and both had strong performances in the film.
Jason Statham Plays The Villain In Chris Evans’ Cellular
Statham Stars As Detective Ethan Greer
Jason Statham embodies the villainous role of Detective Ethan Greer in Cellular, while Chris Evans plays the role of the hero, Ryan. The 2004 action thriller film, directed by David R. Ellis and written by Chris Morgan, follows Ryan, a man who receives a strange phone call from a woman he does not know. The woman is Jessica Martin (portrayed by Kim Basinger), a science teacher who is kidnapped by a group of home invaders, led by Ethan. She manages to contact a random number for help, and Ryan happens to be the person who answers Jessica’s call.
Of course, the first thing that Ryan does after hearing from Jessica is contact the Los Angeles Police Department and inform them of the situation in Cellular. Unfortunately for Ryan (and Jessica), though, the ones who kidnapped her are cops, meaning that Ryan has to figure out how to save a woman he has never met before on his own. Following the release of the Chris Evans action movie, it grossed $57 million against a $25 million budget and received mixed reviews from critics.
Why Chris Evans’ Cellular’s Critic Score Is So Low
Some Critics Thought Cellular Was “Gimmicky”
Cellular’s mixed reviews meant that the 2004 action thriller received an underwhelming score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie’s Tomatometer score sits at 56 percent (averaged from 150 reviews), and its Audience Score is 58 percent (averaged from over 50,000 reviews). So, Cellular certainly isn’t the worst-rated film, but it’s not the best and is considered “Rotten” because its score is under 60 percent.
[ Cellular ] also received many positive reviews, praising Cellular for its high-stakes thrills, pace and execution, and acting performances.
Many critics underrated the Chris Evans movie because they believed it was “gimmicky” and felt like a one-and-a-half-hour cell phone ad. Some also expressed that Cellular’s premise felt implausible, predictable, and absurd. Nevertheless, the 2004 film also received many positive reviews, praising Cellular for its high-stakes thrills, pace and execution, and acting performances. So, those who went into the movie just anticipating a fun and exciting action thriller were seemingly satisfied, while those who expected more were ultimately disappointed with Cellular.
Cellular Is A Reminder Jason Statham Should Play Villains More Often
Statham Typically Plays The Hero Role
As mentioned above, Jason Statham is not typically known for his villainous roles, but he should be after his performance in Cellular. The 2004 action thriller is undoubtedly underrated for many reasons, but one of the biggest is Statham’s character. Detective Ethan Greer is a complex and compelling antagonist, given the warring sides between his profession and life of crime. Statham did a marvelous job at playing a nefarious character in the Chris Evans film, and he should take on more evil roles in the future.