Pundits have been talking about Jason Statham as the last old-school action hero for nearly 20 years. Yes, “The Transporter” opened two decades ago. Since then, he’s expanded his horizons here and there, taking high-profile supporting roles in “The Fast and Furious” series and “Spy” while offering his star power to “The Meg” films and the “Hobbs & Shaw” spin-off.
However, his latest offering, about a guy avenging the death of a mentor/caretaker (played by Phylicia Rashad) using talents specific to his role as a beekeeper, feels like a prototypical Statham vehicle. This quest for revenge, courtesy of director David Ayer and writer Kurt Wimmer, is going to sting.
The trailer, which you can watch above, offers the expected set-up, while also introducing Jeremy Irons as the eventual big boss. The stakes-setting prologue precedes an expected montage of explosions, shoot-outs and righteous murders. The twist is that Statham is a former member of a clandestine off-the-books agency known as, well, the Beekeepers.
That squares with Guy Ritchie’s “Wrath of Man.” In that brutal action thriller, Statham’s vengeful armored car driver wasn’t just a regular guy avenging the murder of his son. Spoiler: He’s secretly a high-level crime boss doing the dirty work himself.
“Wrath of Man,” which also came courtesy of MGM in North America, earned a solid $23 million domestic and $104 million worldwide in the COVID summer of 2021. That’s actually on the high end for a stand-alone, non-franchise (and R-rated) Statham action vehicle. The “record” for such a thing is the $126 million total for “Mechanic: Resurrection” in 2016.
Whether this plays as well is an open question. However, the hook isn’t that dissimilar. Moreover, Statham’s mid-2010s run of comparatively more mass-audience films (the “Fast Saga” films, “The Meg,” etc.) may have slightly expanded his audience for his stock-and-trade. We’ll find out when “The Beekeeper” opens theatrically on Jan. 12.