The Beekeeper is a new Jason Statham vehicle directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End Of Watch) and written by Kurt Wimmer (Expend4bles, Law Abiding Citizen). It follows Statham’s Adam Clay as he ventures back into the clandestine world he left behind following the loss of his friend and neighbour to suicide after a shady corporation’s network of internet phishing scams steals everything from her.

 

The Beekeeper has a simple and familiar premise where something happens to incur the wrath of a retired but dangerous protagonist (Taken, John Wick, The Equalizer etc) that then leads to the events of the movie.

 

Success in the genre generally comes down to execution and casting, with John Wick benefiting by inspired action choreography and direction across its installments and the perfect casting of Keanu Reeves, and Taken from its novelty in its time and Liam Neeson’s gravitas.

 

The success of those films has spawned a number of other lesser films over the years, but fortunately David Ayer seems to have learned from other’s mistakes by making The Beekeeper a surprising and thoroughly engaging ride of chaos mixed with a satisfying tone of righteousness, which Jason Statham knocks out of the park with his trademark screen presence.

 

The direction of the action in The Beekeeper is rather excellent, with the camera making 56 year old Jason Statham seem like a Terminator, mowing down all obstacles in his journey. Great casting of the obstacles also benefits the feeling of righteousness in Statham’s journey, such as a South African Mercenary with a big mouth and a prosthetic leg, played by English-South African actor Taylor James (Vikings: Valhalla). 

 

The preposterousness of the plot increases as the film progresses, but Statham’s charisma, Ayer’s direction of the action and the how deserving the bad guys are of Statham’s wrath make The Beekeeper a thoroughly enjoyable ride.