Having considered myself a fanatic of films and television from the time I could fix my gaze on a screen, I’ve developed an affinity for certain genres, and one of my longtime favorite genres of film just so happens to be “Jason Statham being awesome for almost exactly an hour and a half.” Naturally, the 2024 action thriller “The Beekeeper” seemed to be just my cup of tea.
For those who may be wondering if Jason still packs a punch after all these years, this film puts the naysayers rightly in their place. I must admit, I counted myself among the doubters after “Meg 2: the Trench,” but, as a longtime fan of Statham, I am happy to say that “The Beekeeper” has fully revived my faith in his ability to carry a film.
While Statham has had his fair share of box office flops, he is, in my eyes, the unequivocal king of stupid action thrillers. From the mega-millions franchises like “Fast and the Furious” and the “Expendables” to the campy romp that is “Crank 2: High Voltage,” Stathom has nothing if not box office draw. His star power at his current age of 56 is the result of an illustrious career filled with explosives, car chases, gun fights, and not to forget the gaggle of somewhat decently animated CGI monsters.
Starring Statham as the titular beekeeper, this film is a triumph of the genre. Beginning with a quieter approach, the movie eases us into the action rather than just throwing us into the fiery deep end. If you’re at all scared of bees or find the sound of constant buzzing grating on your nerves, then the opening of “The Beekeeper” is a sensory nightmare, but, perhaps more importantly, these early scenes illustrate the state of our protagonist’s current life as an isolated beekeeper. Little do we know, he has a secret past wrought with intrigue (I have to say, I literally love it when Jason Statham turns out to have a secret past filled with intrigue), and our story about a humble beekeeper becomes a solidly entertaining action flick with just enough drama to hoist up the hefty sequences of pure unadulterated fighting.
I think the most shocking element of this movie is that, at times, it actually made me extraordinarily sad. Most of the time, the overwrought dramatic backstory writers’ use to juice up Statham’s motivation is pretty forgettable. They usually just mention a tragic trauma or a dead wife and get to throwing punches. This time, they stare fully into the face of a grim reality, showing the gut-wrenching truth that so many elderly people in this country face in the era of online scams. It’s heartbreaking because, unlike so much of Statham’s work, it’s real. It speaks to the bleak nature of the digital age and a world in which it’s never been easier to take advantage of the disadvantaged.
The action is great, which is part of the expected Statham package at this point. The fight scenes are so inventive, creative, and they all somehow manage to toe the line between grounded grit and senseless gore. But the story is what really stands out, especially for actually managing to pull at my heartstrings and get me excited about what was happening, beyond the standard joy I always get from watching Jason Statham in anything. I don’t know if anyone reading this has ever had someone attempt to scam them via the internet, but if you have, watching this movie could prove cathartic as well as enjoyable.
Josh Hutcherson was a very believable villain, and the actors who played the primary law enforcement officers gave great performances as well.
I will admit, the metaphors about bees and wasps and hornets interwoven with adages about the functionality of government agencies as “hives” do get a bit tired by the final act of the movie, but I can simultaneously commend the effort at thematic consistency (even if it did come off a bit clumsy at times).
I could finish this review by saying that I loved this movie because of its heart, its action, its star power, and its story, but instead I will be completely honest about the real reason I love this movie: I will never get tired of watching all five foot ten of Jason Statham beat a bunch of D-listers into oblivion. It’s one of a few things in life that just never gets old.
Gabi Merchen is a fourth-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
