The Jason Statham action genre stands out not just from other films, but also from its fellow action stories. Perhaps it’s all about the actor’s British charm, which allows him to shine with the sparks of the intelligentsia even in the most brutal roles. And it just so happens that in his films, Statham likes to master a variety of professions. Perhaps there is no need to explain what activity he took up in the story called “The Beekeeper.” But how the movie itself turned out – read in our review.
Pros:
excellent acting (and everything else) by Jason Statham; staging of battles and action in general, which found a golden mean between the artistic part and realism; unexpectedly interesting ideas within the plot
Minuses:
the naivety and straightforward morality of the protagonist; some phrases and entire dialogues are too stupid
“The Beekeeper” / The Beekeeper
Genre Action
Directed by David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, Jeremy Irons, Josh Hutcherson, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi, Phylicia Rashad
Premiere cinemas
Release year 2024
IMDb website
A man, Adam Clay (Jason Statham), enjoys keeping bees in a barn provided to him by his friend Eloise (Phylicia Rashad). Adam has no other occupations; he devoted his life to his work. But everything changes when Eloise becomes the victim of a major fraud ring – with extremely tragic consequences. Clay decides to punish the culprits who successfully escape the hands of the law himself. And his skills from his past work will help him in this, because Adam is one of the most elite operatives in the whole world, whose very name evokes fear.
The film was directed by David Ayer, who you may know from Bright with Will Smith and Fury with Brad Pitt. Well, and the first film adaptation of “Suicide Squad,” where would we be without it. Eyre knows how to make good, even great action films. But the main thing for him is not to delve into the depths of the setting, lore and other attempts to grab more than he can swallow. Otherwise, the entire structure of his work simply falls apart.
“The Beekeeper” is a case where less means more. The film is not trying to pretend to be something large-scale and pretentious, although there are some hints that lead nowhere. Everything is limited to hints, which allows you to fully enjoy the show that Jason Statham’s character gives you.
Statham also acted as a producer on the film, so he definitely had a certain degree of control over the production. Perhaps this is why there is so much narcissism of the main character in films. Absolutely everyone is afraid of Clay, while he himself adheres to a high code of morality and pure ideas of justice. Almost a saint who can additionally give you a jar of honey.
However, when it comes to battle, Clay is no slouch. The action in the film is exciting and flashy without being too over the top. Yes, this is not the earthiness of “The Raid” and “Daredevil,” but it is not a triumph of style over all other elements in the spirit of James Bond from Daniel Craig. The production team found a happy medium in their approach to battles, explosions and violence in general. So, just because of this element alone, the film is enjoyable to watch.
It also contains other interesting ideas, which, oddly enough, are hidden in the plot. The story tells about fraudulent schemes that are based on deceiving gullible people. Because of this, it is almost impossible to do anything with them using legal methods. These same schemes are then used to finance larger operations that can affect an entire country – or even the world as a whole.
The Beekeeper highlights entertaining concepts that are extremely relevant in the real world. But the film never forgets its main purpose – to delight you with how Statham overcomes all the troubles. This ensures that the script doesn’t devolve into excessive moralizing and attempts to provoke deep thoughts in you. Everything is simple, clear, accessible – and therefore wonderful.
However, some obvious morals are still spoken in the film. They are connected with Clay’s passion for bees. He and other characters regularly draw parallels between civilization and the hive. Frankly speaking, all this sounds naive and stupid. In some moments – even too much, which is why a serious scene is quite capable of being accompanied by laughter from the audience in the hall. You can consider this part of the atmosphere of the film, in which Eyre seems to have finally accepted that all his attempts at something serious end in a similar result. And now he just intends to give people positivity.
Additionally, the film contains several storylines at once, with their own accents and moods. They are neatly intertwined, each revealing its own side of the story. This move allows the already dynamic film to become even more diverse.
“The Beekeeper” as a whole evokes pleasant emotions. It’s an old fashioned action movie with plenty of modern elements. The collision of tradition and innovation gives birth to a worthy film.
And yes, there will clearly be an addition to the collection of jokes about Statham’s pretentious quotes after “The Beekeeper.”
Conclusion:
The Beekeeper is an excellent action film that does credit to both Statham as an actor and Ayre as a director. It works according to rules that are only possible in cinema. But he uses them in the best possible way, so from just one-time entertainment it becomes something more. Quite a bit more, but still.
