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The genre “action with Jason Statham” stands out not only against the background of other films, but also among colleagues from action stories. Perhaps the whole thing is the British charm of the actor, which allows him to shine with sparks of intelligence even in the most brutal roles. And so it happened that Statham likes to master a wide variety of professions in his films. Probably, it is not necessary to explain what activity he took up in the story called “The Beekeeper”. And here’s how the movie turned out – read in our review.

Pros:

excellent acting (and the rest) of 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

Cons:

the naivety and straightforwardness of the main character’s morals; some phrases and entire dialogues are too stupid

7.5/10

Estimated by ITC.ua

“The Beekeeper” / The Beekeeper

Genre action film
Director David Eyre
In roles Jason Statham, Jeremy Irons, Josh Hutcherson, Emmy Revere-Lampman, Bobby Naderi, Phylicia Rashad
Premiere movie theaters
Release year 2024
Site IMDb

Husband Adam Clay (Jason Statham) is fond of breeding bees in a shed given to him by his acquaintance 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 large fraud network – with extremely tragic consequences. Clay decides to punish the guilty who successfully evade the law on their own. And the 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 inspires fear.

The film was directed by David Eyre, who you may know from The Brilliance with Will Smith, The Fury with Brad Pitt. Well, and the first screen adaptation of “Suicide Squad”, where would we go without it. Eyre knows how to shoot good, even great action movies. But the main thing for him is not to hit 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 exactly the case when less is more. The film does not try to pretend to be something large-scale and pathetic, even if there are some hints that lead nowhere. Everything is limited by hints, which allows you to fully enjoy the show that Jason Statham’s character gives you.

Statham also served as a producer on the film, so he definitely had some degree of control over the production. Perhaps that is why there is so much narcissism of the main character in the movie. Clay is feared by absolutely everyone, while he himself adheres to a high moral code and pure ideas about justice. Almost a saint, who can additionally give you a jar of honey.

However, when it comes to battles, Clay is no slouch. The action in the film is exciting and bright, but at the same time not too fancy. Yes, it is not the mundaneness of “The Raid” and “Daredevil”, but also not the triumph of style over the rest of the elements like James Bond from Daniel Craig. The film crew found a middle ground in their approach to battles, explosions and violence in general. So the film is enjoyable to watch because of this element alone.

There are enough other interesting ideas in it, which, strange as it is, hides 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 schemes are then used to finance larger operations that can affect an entire country—or even the world at large.

The Beekeeper highlights interesting concepts that are extremely relevant in the real world. But the film never forgets its main purpose – to please you with how Statham overcomes all troubles. Thanks to this, the script does not slide into unnecessary moralizing and attempts to evoke deep thoughts in you. Everything is simple, clear, accessible and therefore wonderful.

However, some obvious morals in the film do speak. They are connected with Clay’s fascination with bees. He and other characters regularly draw parallels between civilization and the hive. Frankly speaking, all this sounds naive and meaningless. In some moments, even too much, because of which a serious scene is quite capable of being accompanied by laughter from the audience in the hall. You can consider it part of the atmosphere of the film, when Eyre seems to finally accept that all his attempts at something serious end with a similar result. And now he just intends to give people positivity.

In addition, several plot lines were placed in the film at once, and with their own accents and moods. They neatly intertwine, each revealing a story from its own side. Such a move allows the already dynamic film to become even more diverse.

“Beekeeper” generally evokes pleasant emotions. This is an old-fashioned action movie filled with many modern elements. The collision of tradition and innovation gives birth to a worthy film.

And yes, there will clearly be an addition to the treasure trove of jokes about Statham’s pathetic quotes after “The Beekeeper”.

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Conclusion:

“The Beekeeper” is an excellent action film that honors both Statham as an actor and Eyre as a director. He works according to the rules that are possible only in the cinema. But he uses them as best as possible, so it becomes something more than just entertainment for once. Quite a bit more, but still.