Jason Statham’s best movie scenes highlight the actor’s talents as an action star and surprisingly effective comedy performer. After working in markets during his youth and finding jobs in the world of athletics and modeling, Statham made his big-screen debut in 1998 in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. His early collaborations with Guy Ritchie got Statham noticed, with subsequent films like The Transporter cementing Statham as one of the best action actors in modern movies.
For over twenty-five years, Statham has proven repeatedly that his brand of adaptable stuntwork and intense performances make for compelling characters, regardless of the scope and tone of the project. What’s been more unexpected is the strong comedy skills and surprisingly vulnerability he’s also proven capable of. Jason Statham’s most rewatchable movies highlight this flexibility, and prove what has made him a such dependable star for over two decades. Here are the best scenes of Jason Statham’s career, and how they compare to one another.
Death Race (2008)
Jensen’s Escape
Jason Statham’s natural affinity for action elevates many of his best scenes, with his deadpan commitment in even campy action flicks like Death Race highlighting his talents as an actor. Paul W. S. Anderson’s Death Race is a bombastic racing film that stars Statham as Jensen Ames aka Frankenstein. Doing his best to escape Terminal Island’s “Death Race,” Jensen ends up working alongside his deadly rival and fellow racer Machine Gun Joe to pull off a daring escape towards the end of the film. The sequence is as over-the-top as the rest of the movie, as to be expected.
The action is grounded by cuts to Statham, who stays firmly in character despite the chaos. Even with helicopters and explosions happening all around him, Statham gives Jensen a believably cool exterior but with enough charm to be appealing beyond the action. There’s even a hint of a little vulnerability at the end when his love interest remains behind to cover his escape, earning sympathy for an absurd character in a ridiculous film. It’s that natural charm and underspoken heart that elevates him. Not all stars possess that, and it’s something that helps Statham stand out from the crowd.
Snatch (2000)
Finding A New Caravan
On the opposite end of the dramatic spectrum from Death Race, Snatch is a pitch-black dark comedy about a bunch of criminals in London running afoul of one another. An early role for Statham, the underground boxing promoter Turkish is a smooth-talking cool customer who serves as the film’s grounding element. Effectively the straight man against more absurd side-characters, Turkish is established as the film’s rock during an early scene where he discusses finding a new caravan with his business partner Tommy.
It’s a short and silly scene, where a young Statham highlights his skills at understated comedy. It’s an element the film relies on repeatedly to break the tension set up by other characters. Turkish wasn’t Statham’s first role. However, Turkish’s scenes with Tommy in Snatch were the best early examples of the charm and comedic repertoire that elevates Statham among other stars.
The Italian Job (2003)
The Tube Escape
The 2003 remake of The Italian Job featured an early example of the roles Statham would gravitate to going forward. As Handsome Rob, Statham gets to deliver some of the film’s best dry comedy as the heist team’s getaway driver. The film’s marquee scene, with Statham at the center of the action alongside Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron, sees the group escaping through the underground pipes of Los Angeles in a series of Mini-Coopers.
The chase scene is a blast, and Statham is a deceptively big part of it. Rob’s premature joy at their heist is a fun little beat for the character, but Statham also gets the chance to showcase his skills behind the wheel while escaping pursuers. He even takes one out with some tricky driving. The Italian Job is a surprisingly fun if weightless heist film, and Statham’s performance in the film’s best scenes is a testament to the potential he fully explored in later films.
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)
The Paraglider Escape
Statham has appeared in dozens of action films throughout his career, but Mechanic: Resurrection might feature one of the most memorably over-the-top scenes he’s ever appeared in. The sequel to 2011’s The Mechanic, Mechanic: Resurrection features an early sequence where a number of agents attack freelance hitman Arthur Bishop while he’s in hiding in Brazil. The scene is full of little bits of creative action, with Bishop using his skills and his surroundings to dispatch all the attackers.
However, to escape the villains, Bishop ends up leaping off of a moving tram and lands atop a passing by paraglider. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and also just as much fun. Statham does well in the action, but it’s his whole-hearted commitment to the stakes of the at times almost cartoonish scene that makes it so memorable. It’s a shame the rest of the film can’t match the heights of the opening, but Mechanic: Resurrection at least has some solid touches to it.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
The Prison Break
Jason Statham’s inclusion in The Fast and the Furious franchise as Deckard Shaw was an explosive escalation for the series, with his antagonistic turn in Furious 7 working as an ideal fusion of steely cool villainy and over-the-top violence. However, the character’s best action scene in the mainline series remains his prison escape in The Fate of the Furious. During a chaotic prison riot, Shaw finds himself facing off with hordes of guards and various prisoners while trying to fight his way to freedom.
Further complicating the situation is Hobbs, the hulking agent he previously put in the hospital. The prison escape is a terrific showcase for both Statham and his co-star Dwayne Johnson, with a slickly directed and edited sequence highlighting the action skills of both. Statham gets lots of cool moments in the scene, such as dispatching guards with their own weapons or using other prisoners as human shields. It’s a stand-out action scene in that entire franchise. and is a great example of how Statham can pull off a sprawling fight scene.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
The Hallway Fight
Shaw and Hobbs ended up getting their own full spin-off in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. The film fused the over-the-top action of the franchise with a comedic “Odd Couple” dynamic between a reluctantly paired up Hobbs and Shaw. The best example of their dynamic working comes when the pair are sneaking into the villain’s base, and find themselves facing off different hallways full of henchmen. Statham fighting his way through the guards is impressive enough, with Shaw’s combat skills coming through in some well-choreographed action.
The real draw of the scene though comes from Statham’s comedic timing, which elevates the sequence. He’s able to steal laughs from a single frustrated look at Hobbs. It all builds to an extended silent comic beat where he has to try every unconscious henchman to try and get his door open. It’s a great little beat that highlights what makes that character dynamic so surprisingly fun.
Crank (2006)
Chelios’ Final Call
Crank remains one of the wildest films of the 21st century, an absurd action flick that purposefully never pulls back on the escalation. After being informed that he’ll die if he lets his adrenaline get too low, Chev Chelios embarks on a wild run through Los Angeles that only gets more bonkers as it goes along. Statham is perhaps the only actor who could play Chelios correctly, fusing the cool guy action hero with a committed sardonic performance. This builds to an epic final action sequence that plays with the absurdity of the situation.
This eventually escalates to Chelios falling out of the sky as he breaks the neck of the film’s central antagonist. What makes the scene stand out is the surprisingly sweet conclusion of the sequence, where Chev calls his girlfriend and bids her a quietly emotional farewell before he hits the ground. Statham’s softly sad delivery is a good way to close out the character and contrast against the non-stop rage that fuels the rest of the film. It’s another example of Statham infusing a basic character archetype with a surprising bit of humor and humanity.
The Meg (2018)
Jonas Vs. The Shark
Perhaps the apex of the actor’s career as an action star, Jason Statham’s The Meg is effectively the biggest “man vs. shark” film that’s ever hit the big screen. Statham plays Rescue diver Jonas Taylor, who finds himself ostracized from the rest of his profession when he claims to have seen a truly monstrous shark. Eventually proven right, Jonas is tasked with helping combat the creature as it goes on a rampage. This all builds to the end of the film. Set in Sanya Bay, China, Jonas blinds and wounds the creature enough that other sharks arrive to finish the job.
It’s a truly bonkers film, but one that embraces its B-Movie ancestors. Statham is a blast in the scene, which sees him whipped around and struggling to deliver a crucial blow to the shark. Statham is a gifted action actor who’s able to convey emotion through physical turns alone, and he still gives a fully committed performance even while fighting a giant shark. It’s a fully earnest and entertaining performance, which could accurately describe most of Jason Statham’s past roles.
Spy (2015)
Rick Ford Recounts His Previous Missions
Perhaps Jason Statham’s most underutilized talent is his comedic timing. The actor has always been good at delivering witty banter in action movies, but he’s also deceptively funny when he wants to be. Paul Feig’s Spy recognized this talent and ran with it. The highest-rated film in Statham’s career, cast the actor as the hyper-confident super spy Ford. His committed performance as the spy makes him an ideal deadpan counter to the rest of the cast, and plays into brilliant little subversive beats like Ford’s accidental fall during a climactic fight.
Rick Ford’s best scene in Spy comes during a chat with Melissa McCarthy’s first-time field agent Susan Cooper. Doubting her abilities, Ford lays out some of his most memorable missions. It’s a litany of good jokes that are improved immensely by the intensity and sincerity of Statham’s performance. Rick Ford proves Statham deserves to be in more comedies, and makes the lack of a Spy 2 starring Statham and McCarthy all the more galling.
The Transporter (2002)
The Bus Depo Fight
One of Jason Statham’s best action scenes and a perfect example of the actor’s skill set, the bus fight from The Transporter helped cement Statham as a star — and with good reason. The film follows Statham’s Frank Martin as he finds himself entangled in a conflict over a kidnapped young woman. Eventually, Martin finds himself in a bus depot and forced to contend with a number of threats. The eight-minute bus fight scene from The Transporter highlights his versatility in fight scenes,
The taking place across several environments in short order, the bus depot fight highlights Statham’s skills as an action star, as well as his ability to infuse minor moments of motion with surprising depths of emotion. It’s a truly impressive showcase for the actor, highlighting an adaptability and confidence that’s served him well for over two decades of action film stardom. The bus depot is a perfect example of what makes Jason Statham one of Hollywood’s best action stars.