The formula to creating a Jason Statham action thriller has been perfected over the last dozen or so years, to the extent that the overwhelming majority of his output follows roughly the exact same criteria, almost to the letter.
Take one chrome-domed martial arts enthusiast, add one experienced journeyman director and a mid-sized budget, cast the leading man as a thief, soldier, government or law enforcement official that’s either drawn out of retirement or double crossed and left for dead, throw in an eclectic mix of recognizable stars and esteemed character actors, and the rest pretty much takes care of itself.
Today, yet another Statham vehicle, 2013’s Parker, arrived on Netflix and you’ll never guess how it plays out. The actor portrays Daniel Parmitt, a professional thief that’s double crossed and left for dead in the $35 million effort from Taylor Hackford, the veteran director of The Devil’s Advocate and Ray, among others.
The supporting cast is filled out by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Wendell Pierce, Bobby Cannavale and others, and it hits pretty much all of the plot and action beats that you’d expect. Parker isn’t one of Statham’s best outings by any means, but it’s hardly terrible and provides more than enough entertainment for discerning viewers fully aware of what they’re going to get when they see the 53 year-old’s name above the title.
Jason Statham‘s last two action thrillers that were added to the Netflix library both performed above expectations and cracked the Top 10 most-watched list, with Homefront even reaching the number one spot, so there’s no reason why Parker can’t hit similar heights now that it’s available to stream.